We are ready to settle out of Court if...

          

               

  

 ......We are ready to dialogue 

.......We have not received sack letter  

.......Olowo of Owo and leaders should settle it

........We are ready to settle out of Court

   

    

      Gen. Secretary , Arikawe

          

       For the past few  months  tongues  have  been wagging . Different  rebellious  songs  in different tunes are being sung  while discordance tune is being heard as  opponents  are   dancing  to the beating of  drums of war   due to  rumours and lack of harmony. One camp     accusing  the   other. Each Camp's  Goal  Keeper has been  defending his goal post   from  the striker's  penalty shoot -out from   scoring goals! .

Receipts  of transactions have been flying about ( real or not ).

A source said   the EFCC  came into action . But  according to information , fake  names of  petitioners  /anonymous were supplied because  no one could  identify  the writers or petitioners. Information gathered that some of these officers reported  at the EFCC office in Ibadan but seeing nothing incriminating  or not found wanting  ,they  were  left off the hook.

    That is the mind-boggling story that has been rocking the boat of   Rufus Giwa Polytechnic's   institution established in the ancient town of Owo about four  decades ago.  The ASUP alleged the Governing Council of  maladministration, high handedness , insensitivity to workers' plight  and misappropriation of funds. Yet, the case  is like the  ram's testicles swinging endlessly  but  will not  disentangle.

Ade Arikawe the General Secretary of ASUP , ROGIPO Chapter  in this video spoke on many issues.

 ARIKAWE 'S INTERVIEW

 WHAT IS YOUR REACTION TO YOUR SACK?

''Yes, we  heard so but as far as we are concerned we have not received any   letter  regards  to that (sack)  and we  have not been invited to any panel neither has any committee  invited us  for questioning . So as far as we are concerned we were suspended arbitrarily. But we saw fliers all around and people have been calling just like the way you are saying that we have been sacked. 

 ''We have not received any letter  to that regards and to the best of our knowledge the only letter we have is the letter of suspension but we saw fliers and people have been saying the management has dismissed us from the institution to the extent that even a disclaimer has been circulated within the institution  and I don't think we have committed any criminal offense to have warranted such.''

BUT YOU WENT TO COURT 

Yes , we went to Court as regards to  the  suspension on  the Union activities within the institution .We said  that the management and the Council didn't  have the right to suspend  the Union because the Union came into existence by law and the Union is not their baby . So they don't have the right to suspend us , we want to prove it.

     WE WERE SUSPENDED

''That was September , I cannot remember the date  .There was a letter we wrote to the Honourable  Commissioner  for Education Pastor  Femi Agagu  and when the Management saw the letter , they invited Police to the matter and we were arrested and detained at the Police Station where we were asked to write a statement .So , having done that it was in the process that we were in Court that we have been   suspended from the institution without any panel and   without passing through due process.

 WHAT OF THE VIDEO WHERE YOU WERE INDICTED?

''Yes, what brought about that was when we were agitating for our promotion which had been given last since and the management made us understand that they don't have the arrears on that promotion and we requested  that the arrears should be left out for now but the promotion should be given , that is let us  bear the nomenclature,  give us the letters for us to know the position we are in the polytechnic so that we can be at par with our counterparts in other institutions .So as a result of that the management said that there was going to be an exam but we now said that without the promotion we were not going to participate in the examination .

''Initially, the issue of salary arrears was inclusive in our demand because  that was what we reached at the  Congress and  some other things attached   but when we now saw that the salary is not from the school , is not within their purview but the promotion issue is within their purview  and we now demanded that  let us do the promotion and leave others since the promotion is within their purview. But the management refused they said they ( students) have to write the exam by force and that day they said the Council would meet that week, and exam was supposed to start on  Monday, we met the Council to ratify the promotion and we said if that has been done let us wait for the Council to ratify the promotion , they refused . 

 Since we agreed at the Congress  that we were not going to participate  we set up a Committee , a kind of Task Force to see that our members would not participate in the exam. A night before ,we received calls from students telling us that the management said we didn't  want them to write exam and we even heard the voice of the Rector instigating students against us .So on that day all we did was that we warned the Committee that there should be total compliance . Along the line we saw 18 of the students trying to come upon us , that was when the chairman addressed the  students  and we told them we were not for fight ,  we were even pleading with the students that they should not fight, not do anything ,we said they should remember the last issue they had with the management .   

                                 Arikawe

So in the course of addressing these students some of them snapped pictures and  recorded the video you saw. We were not instigating students , it was the Rector that instigated students to fight us. So we were able to calm the situation , the situation was under control. It was that day that they said we started tearing papers in the exam that they didn't do.There was no exam that day, but the management claimed  that we went to  exam halls to tear papers which is not true , which is not true , the exam did not hold at all. That was why the chairman addressed students so that the students would not attack us''.

YOU SPOKE ABOUT KIDNAP

''Yes, a lecturer was kidnapped before our own member was kidnapped , there was somebody from SANNU that was kidnapped and killed , it was that same week that our own member was kidnapped, the exam was  supposed to hold on Monday but the person was  kidnapped  Saturday before Monday and we now reported to the management that let us shift the exam at least a day  forward and let us see how we can get this person back but the management refused. It was at that level we now called for members so that we can pray for the quick release of this person and the exam was supposed to start by 8:30 am that is the normal routine we ended that prayer by 8:05am. I invigilated that day. I went to the exam hall to invigilate.There was no disruption. It was that week that we had a letter of suspension and the exam went smoothly nothing happened''.

   THE BUILDINGS UNDER CONSTRUCTION 

''Yes, there are some buildings under construction, these are TETFUND projects that were abandoned during the time of our former rector, Ajibefun. These projects were abandoned  and we have not been able to access TETFUND's fund , as a result the level at ..so as a result of that it is the money of the 500 million naira to have been used for the payment of two months arrears owed by Mimiko regime that money was meant for''. 

   AJIBEFUN SHOULD BE PROBED 

''Yes, he was supposed to have been probed , it is not our duty to probe because we are Unions and we never knew the extent  at which the projects would have  gone even  at that  time  I was not an EXCO, I only became an EXCO during the regime of Ologunagba  to this present regime .It should be the Governing Council that should probe . It is not our duty , it is the duty of the Council''.

STILL ON   AJIBEFUN REGIME 

''We are not accusing anybody ,we are only trying to see how that institution will go on as expected, Ajibefun regime came and is gone , if there is any regime at all to probe Ajibefun it is this regime that should do that. It is not our duty to probe, if they know he has questions to answer they should invite him and ask him questions , it is not our right , we don't have that opportunity to ask him question , it is the Governing Council that have power to do  such.We are not even blaming them , all we are saying is that let things be done accordingly, if money is meant for A, it should not be used for B, let use what belongs to A to use A let use what belongs to B to be used for B, that is all we are saying here because when that 500million naira came , the Rector invited the three Unions , I was there , he invited the three Unions and told us that this money has come and he was going to use 250million naira  to offset part of the salary arrears and was going to use 150million naira to pay the  CTS deduction and was going to pay these arrears for retirees , we agreed on that . Another thing came up and  he said he was going to use it for capital project, that has been cleared .The Commissioner for Education made us known to that .. about five months salary and the institution is in critical condition financially .We believe if  the Council is coming it is to come and sabotage the institution but not to come and siphon the institution , we don't have money .We felt that if they come around the allowance should reduce, because they met critical condition of the school  on ground but they increased their sitting allowance from 32 to 80, they went ahead to buy cars , we cannot afford that . I want to ask you sir, since the acting rector has been in that institution  there has he  been able to save up to 18million to buy a car? as acting capacity , is that right ? .

All these should not be coming up at this period , we are working for the governor for his second term  the man has tried for us in that institution.They were owing us 11months but when he came in he gave them money to settle this place , he gave them money  to balance up, the man has done so much for us . He had visited us , gave us promises, but these people are trying to sabotage his effort . You can imagine this kind of thing is happening in the governor's  town, the only heritage , the only institution in that place , they are only trying to sabotage the effort of the governor and it should not die.

THE WAY FORWARD

Arikawe however wants the Olowo of Owo , HIM  Oba Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye III, Head of Service Mr. Dare Aragbaiye, the CSO , the Registrar, and other leaders in Owo to wade in since the  School is located in Owo their home town. 

''We can settle this thing out of Court, why not. My chairman can do that  if we agree on certain things .But we can't just walk to Court  and say we want to agree, the Court has to stand for us. And another way to it is that Owo, this School is in Owo, if the school is in another town it should have been a different ball game, the Governor is from Owo,  the  Chairman Governing Council is from Owo, the Registrar is from Owo, My chairman (Ijawoye ) is from Owo, we have  first class Oba in Owo,  the HOS is from Owo, the Chief of Staff is from Owo , the Attorney General of the State is from Owo, all these people, they should not allow this thing to escalate  beyond necessary, these are issues they should  address and get out of it  because at the end of the day if this thing is not nipped  in the bud it will escalate . The governor has tried for us. In everything we do we first of all consider his position but they are not doing that with us.

We have met the Commissioner of Education , we have met the Head of Service  , they said we can settle out of Court ...''

          BANJI ALABI's DEFENCE  

 The Chairman Governing Board, Mr. Banji Alabi ,  said he remains unshakable and as solid  like the rock of Gibraltar. He however debunked all these allegations. He stood his ground and maintained his  stand that due process was followed in purchasing the vehicles.

''I will not argue with these people. I am a Christian and have been blessed. What  these guys are saying is just a fuss, they are like a drowning man who  did not want to go down alone. The fact is that we went through normal due process .I am a lawyer , an accountant and had worked in Chevron for 24years with clean record. God has been kind to me . The fact is that corruption is fighting back on these people and they are afraid. Check these people's records very well.

''They accused me of misappropriation of funds , they must prove it-he who alleged must prove . If they are unable to prove they must apologize and publish  same far and wide -that is the only fair thing to do. .He who alleged must prove .

''Forgiveness must work better if the offender acknowledges her/his action , apologizes genuinely , and seeks atonement .It cannot  and must not be a one-way street , as that will be  too much burden on the victim .I have been free and very nice to them''.  

  Alabi

A retired teacher Mrs. Morenike Ogunseitan Famulagun said         ''Banji Alabi is from Owo, he meant good .This man meant good for Owo people and I  am appealing to all parties to sheath their swords. Remember Alabi is not a poor man and will never steal from anybody. He has a good record . He is clean and has been constructing new buildings , renovating dilapidated buildings , and the Bakery that has been in  comatose is bouncing back.

The Olunaun of Unaun ,Prince Olanrewaju Abegunde said '' we should all cooperate and make the institution the best in Nigeria. I have heard a lot of programmes Alabi is facilitating to the school.I  believe there must be solution to all this. Let this man do his work for God's sake''

Oke Mohammed was furious when he said '' what's all the fuss about? When did Alabi come there? .Was he there two or three or five years ago? These people should go after those who destroyed the school.If Alabi said he followed due process and it is true then these guys are just ranting like ant''.

HAVE THEY ABANDONED THESE COMRADES?

As the sacked ASUP officials are allegedly sacked , it is obvious that they are on their own because according to an insider ,  there is no strike or no boycott of lectures by the lecturers to drum their  support  for  their Comrades.

Now   questions are being asked from Comrades to Students, and the questions are   '' Have the ASUP members  abandoned their  Comrades?.Why did they not go on strike  to  protest on behalf  of  their sacked colleagues? . Will their Court action  favour the Comrades? .Questions .Questions.

  However,  investigation revealed that the ASUP Comrades may have been abandoned by their colleagues for the fact that the school's lecturers  and  the senior officers who were supposed or expected   to go on strike and protest against their sack may have abandoned them. Now examinations have started without hitch and this is unusual .

Dauda Yakubu ( not real names) said '' I can tell you that these Comrades must have erred for accusing Banji Alabi who is known to be a wealthy man and nothing incriminating has ever been found on him . If he wanted to buy a fleet of cars he  has the money to  buy them. How much is the the money .I am not in support of smearing people's images. Why not probe the past rectors' activities? '', He queried on phone.

 Another man who  spoke with  anger   rained  curses on this Reporter on phone saying '' The media added more to the case,  how can you be relying on the papers these Comrades are flying about? . First , they said the money disbursed did not go through Due  process, again they said the Rector's age is not realistic that he doctored it .We learnt that these guys are being sponsored by a group of people who have now abandoned them to their fate.Now what is their fate?''.

But Emeka X insisted that all the past leaders should be probed .''Let us probe them all including the so called Alabi and his group and if  they are found wanting they should be dealt with, that is my take''.

Another woman who refused to mention her name  said '' Nobody would believe all what these Comrades are saying and  brandishing about called receipts. Agreed ,they bought  these vehicles for 68million naira but  they all  followed due process. What did they say about the past Governing Councils?. What was the state of the school before Alabi came in?. Let us investigate  that.You cannot build on nothing, what did  they meet on the ground?. That is my take''.

One of the Comrades  who refused to mention his name said '' A  senior staff  we were fighting on his behalf and who pretended he was supporting us saw me on the road when my car broke down but did not stop to assist or sympathize with me  , is this good? .Well, we know we are fighting a good cause and we will win. But it is sad to experience such a wicked act''.

 Now it is like the ASUP is divided . But will the  suspended Comrades be recalled?

 

However , the Olunaun of Unaun Prince Olanrewaju Abegunde  appealed  to the two parties '' please  sheath your swords. Let us stop calling ourselves names. I have heard a lot about the  state of the school before Alabi came in , and the present condition . Alabi has really tried, sentiments apart. I secretly went to the school to see things for myself. The Bakery is bouncing back!. They  have added more Courses  and above all they will soon be awarding degrees. Let Olowo of Owo, our  royal father stepped in and appeal to the two parties to sheath their swords. I know Alabi very well , he was an orphan at 17. He has never , I repeat never spoiled  his name.  He does not have an itchy finger''. 

Will the two parties settle out of Court? Will they reinstate these Comrades? Time will tell.