Stop Ridiculing Gov. Abiodun With Delay In Salary Payment, MAPOLY Replies ASUP

ABEOKUTA - Management of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta has appealed to members of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP) to stop externalizing issues affecting the Polytechnic in the media.

The Polytechnic's Public Relations Officer, Mr. Oluyemi Ajibola said such action was targeted at embarrassing the State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun in bad light.

Ajibola while reacting to a statement credited to the ASUP Chairman, Babatunde Osifalujo accusing the state government of owing them November and December salaries, said MAPOLY remains a self-sustaining institution.

He noted that the state government is not collecting revenue from the Polytechnic which makes the institution self-dependent. 

The PRO explained that, delayed in the release of admission for the fresh admission seekers by JAMB resulted in the delay of both November and December salaries.

He, therefore, urged the aggrieved union members to exercise patience, as the management is working tirelessly to meet their demands.

"The Governor has done more than enough for us in this Polytechnic. If not for the Governor's goodwill, many of the ASUP members crying foul now would have become jobless and be in the labour market searching for another job due to the wicked policy of the last administration by changing MAPOLY to Ogun Poly, Ipokia.

"The Governor in his magnanimity stabilized us by returning our status quo ante and gave us N200million in December last year to pay backlogs of salaries owed by last administration.

READ ALSO: XMAS: Pay MAPOLY Lecturers November, December Salaries, ASUP Begs Governor Abiodun

"Not only that, the management also took about N300million loan from bank to pay their outstanding arrears. If not for the fact that, we had a delay in the release of admission by JAMB, the new intake students would pay their tuition fees and all these noises would not have arose.

"The Governor is not the one paying our salary, because the government is not collecting revenue from MAPOLY. There is no issue in MAPOLY. Many institutions in the state are also having their fair share of salary delays. This is not peculiar to MAPOLY alone. Why do they always rush to the media to make noise all the time? I see that as an attempt to ridicule the governor."

Speaking on the delay in the appointment of a substantive Rector and composition of Governing Council for the Polytechnic, Ajibola said the appointments rested on the discretion of the Governor.

"The appointment of Rector and Governor is at the discretion of Mr. Governor. Before he can make these appointments happen, he must have seen the level of our preparedness as an institution."