Ondo Polytechnic Protest Over Non-Implementation of New Minimum Wage

The Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Polytechnics (SSANIP), Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo chapter, has staged a peaceful protest over the alleged refusal of the institution’s management and the Ondo State Government to implement the new national minimum wage for its members.

The union’s Executive Committee, led by Saka Olokungboye, directed members to converge at the main gate of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic on Monday for a peaceful demonstration until their demands are addressed.

Expressing dissatisfaction over the continued payment of the ₦18,000 minimum wage, the union described it as “obsolete and grossly inadequate in the face of the current economic realities.”

According to SSANIP, the ₦18,000 wage was replaced following the signing of a new national minimum wage law in 2024 by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The association noted that although the Ondo State Government reportedly commenced payment of the new minimum wage to other categories of workers in October 2024, staff of the polytechnic were excluded. It described the situation as “discriminatory and unjust,” adding that “several efforts by campus unions to engage the authorities on the matter have yielded no positive results.”

SSANIP further alleged that the continued payment of the old wage has subjected its members to severe hardship, stating that the situation has made it difficult for them “to meet basic family needs amid rising living costs.”

Rejecting what it termed “endless empty promises” from the state government, the union insisted that “the implementation of the national minimum wage is a legal obligation, not a privilege.”

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As part of its directive, SSANIP instructed all members, including those on essential duties such as security and health services, as well as staff in the offices of principal officers, to participate in the protest. The union’s executives are expected to coordinate the demonstration.

Reaffirming its stance, the association declared: “Ondo State belongs to all of us,” adding that “the people united can never be defeated.”