…gives Okowa 30 Days Marching Order
Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) Delta State chapter, has disclosed that only about 60 percent of staff of the state-owned Polytechnics in Ogwashi-Uku and Otefe are full-time employees while others are employed on ad-hoc basis.
Zonal Coordinator of ASUP, South-south and South-east, Comrade Precious Nwakodo, made the revelation while briefing newsmen on the adverse effect of the state government salary subvention policy on Thursday August 4th 2022, at Ogwashi-Uku Polytechnic, Aniocha south local government area of the state.
“The implication of this is that even before the introduction of the salary subvention policy, the managements of the institutions were already contributing far more than 10 percent to the payment of staff salaries.
“The dearth of staff has been a serious problem for the two state-owned Polytechnics as the government has not been dutiful in the employment of staff since 2008 when it introduced the Central Payment System. Since then, resigned, retired and dismissed staff are yet to be replaced.
“This has left huge staff deficits and in response, management of these institutions have resorted to engaging Contract, Part-time or Ad-hoc Staff to fill the gap at their own expenses”.
He said staff rationalization is becoming inevitable as management are very likely to commence the downsizing of staff strength of their institution so as to be able to pay salaries, warning that the economic and social effects could be very disastrous.
While arguing that the situation coupled with the delay and eventual non-payment of salary, has caused low productivity occasioned by low staff morale, he said: “a demotivated staff cannot give out his best. As at today, no staff of the two Polytechnics has started enjoying the financial benefits of the 2021 promotions and the reasons are obvious. Worse still, is the fact that the government of the day has sworn not to pay promotion arrears”.
He regretted that rising from the above, caused by the draconian policy, “Delta State is likely to lose the quality of teaching and learning these institutions are known for. Apart from breeding a crop of demotivated and depleted staff, learning resources like laboratories, workshops and classrooms will begin to suffer”, warning further that managements’ ability to provide and service these learning resources will be grossly eroded as premium would be placed on raising funds for the payment of salaries.
Meanwhile, asked what the next line of action would be if government continues to pay deaf ears to their demands, Comrade Nwakodo, said the Union has given the State government 30 days ultimatum to review the policy and stop the continued implement.
