Gov vows to upgrade staff school, sustain education reforms
Ondo State Governor, Dr. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, has declared an end to the era of percentage salary payment in the state, assuring workers of his administration’s commitment to prompt and full salary payment across all state-owned tertiary institutions.
The Governor made the declaration on Saturday, October 25, 2025, during the combined 12th–23rd convocation ceremony of the Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, where he announced that his government had cleared 10 months out of the 13-month salary arrears inherited from previous administrations and had approved the payment of the remaining three months’ arrears.
Governor Aiyedatiwa described the era of percentage salary as a dark and painful chapter in the history of the institution and the state workforce, saying his administration would never allow such hardship to resurface.
He said: “Let me first acknowledge and commend the late sage and visionary, Chief Michael Adekunle Ajasin, for his efforts at midwifing this institution. The Sunshine State and indeed Nigeria will forever remain proud of him. It gladdens my heart that today, there are several products of this Polytechnic who have distinguished themselves in various areas of human endeavour across the globe.
“We were visibly disturbed to learn that the last time this institution held a convocation was in 2013. I made it clear that it was unacceptable and directed that the situation be remedied immediately. While commending the Acting Rector and his management team for acting promptly, such must never be allowed to happen again.”
Governor Aiyedatiwa stated that upon assuming office as Acting Governor and later substantive Governor, the most daunting challenge confronting the polytechnic was the backlog of 13 months’ salary arrears.
“Realising that no meaningful teaching and learning could take place in a tertiary institution where workers are owed humongous salaries, our administration took decisive steps to address the challenge. In three separate instances, we approved and released Special Intervention Funds for the payment of outstanding salaries for three months.
“The State Government took another step by approving a substantial increase in the monthly subvention for the Polytechnic, as applicable to other state-owned tertiary institutions, effective from January 2024. To the glory of God, it is gratifying that Rufus Giwa Polytechnic now pays full salaries to its workers”, the Governor added.
Governor Aiyedatiwa commended the patience and understanding of both students and staff, especially the three workers’ unions of the polytechnic, for opting for dialogue instead of strikes while the government worked on addressing the crisis.
He also acknowledged reports of alleged administrative injustices in the past and said the state had begun reviewing such cases to ensure fairness, justice, and equity.
The Governor reiterated his administration’s determination to reposition education in the state and challenged tertiary institutions to focus on producing job creators rather than job seekers.
Speaking on the planned transformation of the institution, the Governor reaffirmed his government’s commitment to upgrading Rufus Giwa Polytechnic to a full-fledged University of Agriculture and Agro-Business, assuring that the implementation process was underway.
He expressed appreciation to the Federal Government through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) for infrastructural development support, while urging alumni, corporate bodies, and philanthropists to complement government efforts.
The Governor also encouraged all tertiary institutions in the state to embrace innovation and entrepreneurship to expand their internally generated revenue base.
In his remarks, the Acting Rector, Mr Olorunwa Adegun, commended the governor’s interventions, describing the period before his emergence as one of hopelessness and hardship.
“Before Your Excellency came on board, workers were owed 13 months’ salary arrears, and some received as low as five per cent. The hardship led to deaths and low morale among staff. But your intervention has changed the story,” Adegun said.
He listed the accreditation of 68 academic programmes, reopening of the staff schools, and funding of the long-delayed convocation as proof of the governor’s responsive leadership.
The Governor, who was conferred with an honorary award of fellowship of the institution, also used the event to inaugurate some infrastructural projects in the institution.