The opinion by Mikail Mumuni ordinarily ought to have been placed where it belongs – trash can, but if we allow lies to travel far, it may take up the colour of truth. It is on this premise one is tempted to put the record straight in view of the falsehood, innuendos, misrepresentations contained in the contraption.
Worthy of note is the document titled “resolutions reached by the state government with the three unions at the Lagos State Polytechnic, Ikorodu”, dated Friday, 31st December, 2010 and signed by Adesegun Ogunlewe – Head of Service (Representing LASG), O.T. Arowolo- ASUP, LASPOTECH Chairman, A.J. Ogungbayibi- NASU, LASPOTECH Chairman and H.B. Tairu- SSANIP, LASPOTECH Chairman. According to the document, “(i) that Lagos State Government has agreed to implement the ASUP/Federal Government Agreement of 2009; (ii) that the financial aspect of the agreement shall commence in January, 2011; (iii) that the Lagos State Government would increase the polytechnic’s subvention by 25% while the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the Polytechnic would complement the balance; (iv) that the Lagos State Government has agreed that the accrued arrears from 1st July,2009 to 31st December, 2010 shall be paid through the Polytechnic IGR;” Etc. with this, the noise that the CONTISS 15 is yet to be domesticated is put to rest.
It will also interest the general public to know that, the immediate past Rector of the Polytechnic constituted a committee on the “migration to CONTISS 15 and revised NBTE Scheme of service in the Polytechnic” headed by the then Deputy Rector (Admin.), now the current Rector- Oluyinka Samuel Sogunro. The committee via a report dated 6th June, 2014, referenced CIC 16 signed by Sogunro and other six members submitted, “…for the sake of sustainable peace to ensure (sic) a conducive atmosphere for teaching and community service, the committee recommended the option of salary point to salary point of Nineteen Million, Seven Hundred and Eighteen Thousand, Five Hundred and Fifty Nine Naira (N19,718, 559,00) over and above the present wage bill of the Polytechnic for implementation in the Polytechnic.”
Subsequent upon Sogunro led committee’s report to the Management of Lagos State Polytechnic, the then Rector, Dr. Abdulazeez A. Lawal through a letter dated 11th September, 2014, referenced REC/MEPB/027C/IX/016 to the Honourable Commissioner, Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget with specific prayers requested, “…(b) seeking approval for the adoption and implementation of the NBTE Migration to CONTISS 15 Circular and new Scheme of Service with a monthly financial implication of Two Hundred and Thirty-Six Million, Six Hundred and Twenty-Two Thousand, Seven Hundred and Eighty Naira (N236,622,708,00).”
In May 2016, the Polytechnic received a letter referenced SAE/HED/S.7/Vol.T/53 and dully signed by the current Special Adviser on Education- Obafela Bank-Olemoh with the tittle , “payment of newly approved monthly subvention”. The letter partly reads thus, “ In part fulfilment of the pledge of the Governor, His Excellency, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode to reposition all the State-Owned Tertiary Institutions, he approved the upward review in the Institutions’ monthly subventions as a measure to improve their fiscal profile. To this end, His Excelemcy has graciously signed-off the payment of N210,000,000,00 (Two Hundred and Ten Million Naira) only monthly, as the new subvention rate of your Institution with effect from June, 2016.”
It continues. “For proper financial moderation based on our discussion on debt profile reduction. N30m (Thirty Million Naira), representing not less than 50% (fifty percent) of your Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) should be dedicated to settling monthly the debt profile of N2,778, 549,846,21 (Two Billion, Seven Hundred and Seventy – Eight Million, Five Hundred and Forty- Nine Thousand, Eight Hundred and Forty- Six Naira Twenty-One Kobo) only….General bail-out is not envisaged for now until appreciable level of monthly debt reduction is attained.”
Kindly note, LASPOTECH subvention was raised from N153, 731,200 (One Hundred and Fifty Three Million, Seven Hundred and Thirty One Thousand, Two Hundred Naira) to N210 , 000,000,00 (Two Hundred and Ten Million Naira),(N55 million- Fifty Five Million Naira difference), with the caveat that backlog of outstanding debts must be settled. You will also recall that, Sogunro led committee claimed that the difference of Nineteen Million, Seven Hundred and Eighteen Thousand, Five Hundred and Fifty Nine Naira (N19,718, 559,00) monthly would be required to migrate the staff.
Ironically, on 19th September, 2016 through a letter referenced REC/SAE/025/IX/133, while the staff were yet to enjoy the implementation of the CONTISS 15 migration despite the increase in subvention since June 2016 , Sogunro led administration was already requesting for additional funds. “…it may interest you to know that our monthly salaries, wages and pensions amount to N229,401,307.00 which is higher than the new monthly subvention of N210,000,000. To make up for this shortfall , the sum of N19,401, 301 is required monthly as augmentation,…it is our prayer that the directive of setting 50% of our IGR for debt settlement be waived at least for now….”
As it stands today, the accrued arrears is of 87 months. The Unions in their magnanimity only requested for six months to be paid now, while the balance should be spread over time. But the Rector prefer to fix deposit N1.788B as at February 2017, including pensioner’s 13 months allowances, Federal Government Scholarship funds, etc. and goes around with a purported letter signed by one Mr Sutton- Director of Higher Education in the Ministry of Education discrediting the payment of the arrears.
Meanwhile, the game of the stormy petrel started sometimes in June 2016 when the Rector presented a request for the approval of CONTISS 15 arrears of the principal officers to the 12th Governing Council. The council leadership was surprised to know that, while majority of the staff (CONTISS 11 downward) were yet to be migrated, not to talk of arrears, the Rector was requesting arrears for already migrated principal officers. Hence, Governing Council directed that the Rector should represent his request to include all staff members.
As regards the complaint against some lecturers, it is trite law and confirmed by a Supreme Court pronouncement that you can not treat an anonymous petition, not even when it was designed to hound the perceived enemies of the almighty Rector. When you allege in law, the onus is on the complainant to prove his case, Mr Mikail should kindly provide proof(s) where any staff were alleged of sexual harassment and how the leadership of the Union tried to pervert the course of justice. I make bold to say that, some mouths are better shut and not lead their owners into temptation.
The height of Sogunro’s penchant for militocracy was exhibited on Wednesday, 7th June, 2017 when soldiers from 174 battalion, Odogunyan invaded the peaceful demonstration of the Non Academic staff and students respectively, and brutalized the defenseless citizens. The school Management had fabricated different stories to cover up the dastardly act and paint the demonstrators bad, but the true confession of the Nigerian Army spokesperson, eyewitness reports, pictures and video footages vindicated the protesters. There is no person that is against the beefing up of security on our campuses, but when a handshake goes beyond an elbow, it probably becomes a wrestling bout.
Calling the dog a bad name to hang it will not work in this case. Mr Mumuni, LASPOTECH campuses are no more notorious for student cult activities like you claimed. Don’t you think your security intelligence will save the school some millions of Naira? Instead of you and your principal chasing out students of tertiary institution out of the campuses with guns by 6pm daily, will it not make huge sense if you submit the list of the cultists and their sponsors in your possession to the Sogunro’s soldiers that unleashed bestial terror on innocent staff, students and residents of Lambo Lasunwon?
Talking about federalism and federating units in this case, until National Diploma (ND) is changed to Lagos Diploma (LD) or Higher National Diploma changed to Higher Lagos Diploma, LASPOTECH will continue to plug into NBTE directives.
In conclusion, as much as Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, LASPOTECH Chapter is NOT canvassing for the removal of Mr Oluyinka Samuel Sogunro, we want to regard the opinion by Mikail Mumuni as an outcry of a sinking sailor that urgently needs help. He should come up with facts to back up his claims like I just did, else he should stop compounding the dilemma of his principal.
. Saheed is the Publicity Secretary, Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, LASPOTECH Chapter.
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