RUGIPO Alumni Applauds Governing Council Chairman

By Niyi Olutunde, Akure

The Alumni Association of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, has appealed to graduates of the institution for financial support for the school.

This was contained in a statement signed by Ehinola Olufemi, National President of the Alumni Association and made available to newsmen on Monday in Akure, the Ondo State capital.

It was revealed that the association set up a fact-finding committee to look into remote and immediate causes of the challenges of the institution and proffer solutions to them for concerted efforts with the Mr. Banji Alabi-led Governing Council of the school.

The statement reads in parts, “Findings of the Committee revealed that RUGIPO under the current Governing Council ably led by Barr. Banji Alabi Esq., the Polytechnic has witnessed tremendous development. This claim is attested to by the following: Massive upgrade of Infrastructure, training and retraining of staff, giving deserved attention to the welfare of students, among others.

“It is to be pointed out, however, that our findings further revealed some of the challenges confronting the Polytechnic, which include poor Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) which the Institution uses to augment the monthly subventions from Government, some staff were promoted far beyond the qualifications they possess by past administrations aside the people that were deregularised statuswise based on the premise that their cadre has overshot the required number on their cadres, promotions of staff without established/vacant positions; some academic staff taking undue advantage of the students due to irregular payment of staff salary, among others.”

The statement further revealed that the report of the Committee gave the chairman and members of the institution’s Governing Council a clean bill of health,  saying “no money paid into the personal account of Barrister Banji Alabi on the purchase of the status car for the office of the chairman. We also have evidence to confirm that he is the most prudent chairman of council in all the tertiary institutions of Ondo State if not in Nigeria.

Among findings of the committee was the fact that the ” Governing Council urgently carried out a critical analysis of the entire Institution, in which it discovered structural defects above.

“To address the foregoing challenges confronting the Institution, Council leveraged on Mr. Governor’s development agenda, which is to re-tool, re-engineer and reposition the Polytechnic; so that it will be among the leading research Institutes in Nigeria committed to improving the human conditions in all its entirety through advanced science and technology and also, to make the Institution to be more attractive to the general public, particularly, students.

“To this end, the Alumni is delighted to state that the steps taken by Council have yielded positive results including completion of E-Testing centre of 3 gigantic halls that remained for many years unresolved, approval of Radio license for Mass Communication department by the NBC, establishment and installation of transmission equipment for RUGIPO radio which had effectively kicked off, renovation and reequipping of the damaged ICT building occasioned by students protest and completion of Administrative Complex of the Rectory, Registry, and Bursary buildings having been abandoned for many years among others.

Passing vote of confidence in the Governing Council Chairman, Banji Alabi,
the association said: “With the above outlined achievements that are verifiable, we express our collective confidence in the leadership of Barr. Banji Alabi’s led Governing Council and Management of the Institution. On this note, we are passing vote of confidence on Barr. Banji Alabi’s robust capacity to lead the Institution to a greater height.”

The alumni association, however, appreciated the management and the Governing Council for their numerous achievements, soliciting more to be done especially in the area of Internally Generated Revenue.

Calling for support of all and sundry for the institution, the statement reads that “There is need to strive more at improving the financial capability of the Institution so as to be able to meet financially obligations like pension and gratuities, among others.

“In addition, we want to call the attention of Management and the Governing Council to the case of one of our own Mr. Rafiu Ijawoye who was dismissed from the services of the Institution. We are calling for a review of his dismissal in no distant time in the interest of peace.”

“Furthermore, as we all know, the Institution has contributed immensely to the livelihood of many generations before us and we must ensure that the going concern, that is, the Institution is sustained for the generation to come with productive contributions from all relevant stakeholders.

“Finally, we appeal to all parties in the struggles to have as their focus, a better Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo and to see the Institution as their own project that must be protected by all.”