......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
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.
Thank so much for maken public to understand what's happening in Rufus Giwa polytechnic. Good job.
ReplyDelete