The staff unions of The Polytechnic Ibadan, on Friday, rejected a new salary scale being proposed by Oyo State Government, they described the move as odd, absurd and repulsive.
This is disclosed in a communique jointly signed by Chairman of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics (SSANIP) – Comrade ’Biodun Abegunde; Chairman of Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) – Comrade Akande Ibraheem and representative of teaching staff – Mrs. T.M. Oyebola, at the end of a general meeting held at the Conference Center of the institution.
The staff unions faulted Oyo State Government for usurping the constitutional duties of the school’s governing council. According to the communique, the Governing Council of the institution is the only body known to the law that is saddled with discussion of salary and emoluments matters and not the Ministry of Education or any of its agents.
It further stated that the Oyo State Tertiary Education Salary scale published by Oyo State government is an absurdity as National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) is the regulatory body for Polytechnic Education in Nigeria, therefore, it is odd, absurd and repulsive that a scale of salary is put up by Oyo State Government for workers in The Polytechnic, Ibadan.
The communique noted that the table proposed by the state government is alien to the Polytechnic system, as it included Peculiar Allowance and Earned Allowance, which are only obtainable in the College of Education while Housing Allowance was removed from the salaries.
The Unions insists that Oyo State Government must implement National Salaries and Wages Commissions table specification on Basic Salary of N30,000.00 Minimum wage.
The communique reads in full:
COMMUNIQUÉ ON THE MEETING OF STAFF OF THE POLYTECHNIC, IBADAN ON FRIDAY 18TH DECEMBER, 2020 AT THE CONFERENCE CENTRE, THE POLYTECHNIC IBADAN
Preamble
The members of Staff of The Polytechnic, Ibadan met on Friday, 18th December, 2020. The following are the matters observes:
1. The Governing Council of the Institution is the only body known to the law that is saddled with discussion of salary and emoluments matters and not the Ministry of Education or any of its agents.
2. Oyo State Government is acting in the breach of the Edict and Laws that established The Polytechnic, Ibadan by alienating the Governing Council in its rightful duties.
3. The so-called Oyo State Tertiary Education Salary scale published by Oyo State government is an absurdity as National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) is the regulatory body for Polytechnic Education in Nigeria, therefore, it is odd, absurd and repulsive that a scale of salary is put up by Oyo State Government for workers in The Polytechnic, Ibadan.
4. Collapsing the Salary Scales of both Polytechnics and College of Education in Oyo state as a single document without recognizing the earlier unique nature of these Institutions and peculiarities of their salary scales is a grave error on the part of Oyo State Government. it is unprecedented.
5. National Salaries and Wages Commissions table specification on Basic Salary of thirty thousand naira (N30,000.00) Minimum wage should be upheld as it is on thing that calculations of statutory allowances are made. Oyo State Government has ignored this by deviating.
6. The oddious draft of Oyo State Tertiary Education Salary Scale has struck out Housing Allowance for workers in The Polytechnic, Ibadan.
7. It is observed that a Salary Table from all institution of comparable status in Nigeria captures Basic and Rent allowances. These are used in calculating Pension and Gratuity, thus anything at variance with this is not acceptable to the workers of The Polytechnic, Ibadan.
8. It is imperative for the Governing Council of The Polytechnic, Ibadan to commence without further delay, the implementation of the consequential Salary Adjustment as a result of the implementation of the National Minimum Wage nationally.
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Comrade ’Biodun Abegunde Comrade Akande Ibraheem
SSANIP Chairman NASU Chairman
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Mrs. T.M. Oyebola
Rept. Teaching Staff
