…Vows to upgrade staff school, sustain education reforms
Ondo State Governor, Dr. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, has fulfilled his promise to workers of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, by clearing the backlog of 13 months’ salary arrears inherited from previous administrations.
Speaking on Saturday, October 25, 2025, at the institution’s combined 12th–23rd convocation ceremony, Governor Aiyedatiwa announced that his administration had fully settled 10 months of the arrears and approved payment for the remaining three months, effectively ending the long-standing era of percentage salary payments in the institution.
He described the period of unpaid and partial salaries as “a dark and painful chapter” in the history of the polytechnic and the state’s workforce, assuring that such hardship would never recur under his administration.
“Upon assumption of office, one of the most daunting challenges before us was the 13 months’ salary arrears owed to workers of this institution. Realising that no meaningful teaching or learning could take place under such conditions, we took decisive steps to address it,” he stated.
The governor explained that his government had, on three occasions, approved Special Intervention Funds for salary payments and also increased the monthly subvention to all state-owned tertiary institutions, including Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, effective from January 2024.
Aiyedatiwa expressed satisfaction that the polytechnic now pays full and prompt salaries, commending the patience and understanding of both staff and students throughout the challenging period.
He also acknowledged the institution’s unions for opting for dialogue rather than confrontation, noting that such cooperation made government interventions easier and more effective.
The governor further disclosed that the state was reviewing reports of past administrative injustices to ensure fairness and equity, while reaffirming his commitment to repositioning the education sector.
“Our administration remains focused on education reform. We are determined to build institutions that produce job creators rather than job seekers,” Aiyedatiwa emphasized.
He restated his government’s resolve to upgrade Rufus Giwa Polytechnic into a University of Agriculture and Agro-Business, adding that the implementation process was already underway.
Aiyedatiwa also expressed appreciation to the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) for its continued infrastructural support and called on alumni, corporate bodies, and philanthropists to complement government’s efforts in developing the institution.
Earlier in his remarks, the Acting Rector, Mr. Olorunwa Adegun, praised the governor for transforming the institution’s fortunes, recalling that before Aiyedatiwa assumed office, workers were owed several months’ salaries and received as low as five per cent of their pay.
“Your Excellency’s intervention has restored hope and dignity to both staff and students. You have changed the story of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic,” Adegun said.
He highlighted the accreditation of 68 academic programmes, revival of staff schools, and successful hosting of the long-delayed convocation as evidence of the governor’s responsive leadership.
Governor Aiyedatiwa, who was conferred with an Honorary Fellowship Award of the institution, also inaugurated several newly completed infrastructural projects during the event.
