Gov. Oluwarotimi to be sanctioned for closing Rufus Giwa Polytechnic

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State to rescind immediately the decision to close down Rufus Giwa Polytechnic Staff School, Owo.

This was contained in a statement signed by Zadoc Akintoye, the party’s Director, Media and Publicity, in Ondo State, and made available to newsmen In Akure, the state capital.

According to the statement, “It has come to our attention that the management of the Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, has allegedly closed the RUGIPO Staff School (under the auspices of the institution), against public outcry that the same institution which serves as a place for the education of the children of staff of the institution and the public at large, be kept open.

“It is indeed disheartening that a government that promised free and qualitative education less than three years ago, has become a tyrannical, anti-people, anti-poor government which has placed unprecedented financial burden on citizens, all in a bid to solidify the war principle of impoverishing the people to make them more easily governed.

“The recent outcry of members of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) gives credence to our long held position that the APC-led Ondo State Government is an anti-people, pro-elite government, hell bent on widening the gap between the rich and the poor while forcing the impoverished masses to pay for the luxury of the rich and affluent.

“The allusion to providing free education in Ondo State, has been proven as false and insincere with the surreptitious demand for school fees in all secondary schools in the garb of “collectibles” and fictitious levies.

“No longer is the state providing free education to the citizens but it has also increased all levies payable by the poor and needy in a bid to ensure that education becomes a revenue-generating service to government.”

PDP, which declared its unflinching support for the members of staff of the institution, however, called on the governor Oluwarotimi to prevail on the management of the institution to reopen the staff school and stop the ongoing victimisation of some of the members of staff of the school.

“We demand that the Ondo State government rescinds its decisions on the privatisation of the polytechnics’ only education support system to staff (the staff school) and its victimisation of citizens of Ondo State working in that institution.

“We reiterate our support to all members of staff of the polytechnic and assure them, that the lost glories of that citadel of academic excellence, shall be returned when this government exits in 2021,” the statement reads in parts.

The PDP urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate allegations levelled by institution’s chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) against the management of the polytechnic.

According to the statement, “We call on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to immediately investigate the allegations raised by ASUP against the management of the school, in a bid to ensure that the efforts of heroes past and present in seeking the success of our state institutions, be not in vain.”