‘Compel Oke-Ogun Poly Governing Council to implement white paper within 14 days’ – Unions beg Makinde

The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the three staff unions of the Oke-Ogun Polytechnic, Saki (TOPS), has written to Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, calling for the implementation of a White Paper released by the State Government in July 2020.

The staff unions, in a letter captioned “Attention: Non – implementation of 2020 Government White Paper at The Oke-Ogun Polytechnic, Saki (TOPS): The Need to Return The Institution to the Path of Progress”, also congratulated Governor Makinde on his re-election.

The three unions namely: The Academic Staff Unions of Polytechnics (ASUP), Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Polytechnics (SSANIP) and Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) asked Makinde to compel the institution’s Governing Council to implement the White Paper within the next fourteen days.

The letter was jointly signed by Comrade Ajiboye L.O (Chairman, ASUP): Comrade Olanite W.A. ( General Secretary, ASUP); Comrade Oke O.O. (SSANIP, Chairman); Comrade Olagbenro A.J.(General Secretary, SSANIP); Comrade Raufu, M.O. (Ag. Chairman, NASU); and Comrade Adeleke A.Y. (Ag. General Secretary, NASU).

The Oke-Ogun Polytechnic staff unions congratulated Governor Makinde on his victory at the just concluded gubernatorial election, describing his re-election as a confirmation of his brilliant performance as the number one citizen of Oyo State.

“We are using the medium to congratulate you on your successful re-election for the second term by the good people of Oyo State for another four impactful years as the Executive Governor of Oyo State. It is not an overstatement to say that under Omituntun 1.0., you demonstrated exemplary leadership, commitment, responsiveness and humility in your quest to transform our dear state better than you met it, the union congratulated the governor.

They also pledged their continued support for Makinde, “While we are wishing you well and success always, we do not doubt your capacity to do more under Omituntun 2.0., hence, we register our unalloyed support for this course and project”.

Meanwhile, the JAC of the three staff unions of the Oke-Ogun Polytechnic expressed their displeasure over the non – implementation of the government White Paper, describing the situation as “regrettable, too sad, disappointing, distressing and unfortunate”.

They maintained that the non – implementation of the White Paper is a clog in the wheel of the institution’s progress and sustainability, as it has continued to adversely affect “the whole academic system daily in so many ways”.

The unions, therefore, called for the immediate intervention of Governor Makinde to compel the institution’s Governing Council to ensure the immediate full implementation of all the recommendations in the Government White Paper within the next fourteen days.

The Oke-Ogun Polytechnic JAC revealed that at a meeting held on 28th of March, 2023, critical issues adversely affecting the Oke-Ogun Polytechnic and slowing down the efforts and good intentions of Governor Makinde for the institution were thoroughly discussed and that one of the discussions bordered on the non – implementation of the White Paper by the Governing Council.

The unions lamented that it is unfortunate that in the last three years that the “White Paper had been released by the Oyo State Government to the public and handed over to the Governing Council of this institution on the 7th of July, 2020, the spirit and letter of the white paper have not been implemented by the Governing Council, and as such, the laudable reasons for your constitution of the first visitation panel and subsequent release of the White Paper were reversed”.

They further noted that a similar White Paper released on the Adeseun Ogundoyin Polytechnic, Eruwa, was fully implemented immediately by the institution’s Governing Council, while the Oke-Ogun Polytechnic Governing Council “suppressed the document and kept such vital government directives on the shelf for more than three years”.