It is translucently perspicuous that death is a doubtless end of man, irrespective of one’s age, sex, ethnicity, language, wisdom, background, culture, religion, status, influence, affluence, power (both celestial and terrestrial), education and race.
The roles of death in human affairs can never be overemphasized, as it deprograms and reprograms, in a large extent, the characteristic configuration of man.
This piece unearths, though not exhaustibly, the potpourri of enigma and challenges confronting the country, while suggested silver bullets are not disparaged in this discourse.
It is not unobvious that a vast number of people engross themselves in filthy, illicit, nefarious and malevolent acts, ranging from advertent delay in salary payments, promotion of staff without financial benefits, non-implementation of court judgment because of personal interest, overt marginalization, witch-hunt, victimization, intimidation, oppression, draconianism, brutality, misuse of power, inflicting pestilence on others, diabolicalism to outright killing, against other fellow human beings, just to pull off their telos, such as ;.cupidity, mammonism, fame, insolence, personal aggrandizement and much else.
The category of people who are possibly ktetic of the knee-jerk and knavish attitude highlighted above, proliferate our society, no less taking peerless penchant in these nocuous deportments, as if they are immortal and possessive of the whole world.
Some of the burdens of this piece are seriated and bespoken underneath;
WORKERS’ WELFARE
It is not inane to assert that some political heavyweights, especially the governors are actually performing above a bit in term of governance, this in no scruple impels me to give plaudits to our amiable governor of Ondo State, His Excellency Lucky Orimisan Ayedatiwa. The doyen of the state meliorated the older than dirt sufferings of the entire workforce of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, by paying 10-month salary arrears out of the 13-month inherited from the immediate past administration.
The remaining 3-month which was promised to be paid upon the instant of the 13-year combined convocation ceremony held on 25th October, 2025, by the Institution, though still stands as a promise up to now. It was firmly believed that the promise would be far from mumbo jumbo, because the Visitor is known to many as a man of his words, and it has been widely publicized that he had empathetically paid all the backlog of salary arrears of RUGIPO workers.
At any rate, it is yet the belief of the promisees that he will make good on his promise sooner rather than later. The fact still remains that, I appreciate the current administration of the State for discharging her statutory responsibility in this regard. I also thank His Excellency for the reopening of staff schools of the Institution, which was abruptly and unjustifiably shut down in the year 2018 by the then Banji Alabi-led council of the Institution.
The disengaged workers of the staff schools are still hankering for unflappable clemency and untainted justice from Management of the Institution. This is not above Management’s huckleberry.
Management of the Institution needs to be beclapped for the broad-minded administration of the system. It is not jaundiced to say that Management is in serious dearth of financial pep to wholly meet her obligations, among others, promotion of staff with pecuniary benefits and adequate funding of the varying business ventures of the institution.
Worse still, the part-time staff of the Institution are intensely groaning and moaning for the payments of 50-MONTH WAGES ARREARS. This is very alarming and unsettling. LOBBYING the government for regular payments of salary is incontrovertibly needless. This is neither political nor apolitical, but honest-to-goodness plea to the concerned authorities to be alive to their responsibilities, with no pressure.
It is a well known fact that, some people both in the government and in the Institution busy themselves with overweening adulation and sweetening the pill of the Institution, just to feather their nest. It is therefore not inapposite for me to tip that, those in the corridor of power must be ready for the off and nip such act in the bud in order to hit on all six.
The major fly in the ointment of this current Aiyedatiwa led-administration is the out-and-out rebuff to actuate the payment of NEW MINIMUM WAGE, which was last reviewed upwardly to #70,000.00 by the Federal Government in July 2024, to the four State-Owned Tertiary Institutions, scilicet; Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko (AAUA), Ondo State University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa (OSUSTECH), University of Medical Sciences, Ondo (UNIMED) and Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo (RUGIPO).
It is even interesting to note that, Mr. Governor increased the minimum wage to #73,000.00 for all Ondo State workers, possibly as bait for optimal performance. All other state workers have been receiving the MINIMUM WAGE since November 2024, but surprisingly, the workers in the Tertiary Institutions mentioned above keep salivating for it till today.
Mr Governor promised that the payments of the new minimum wage would commence in November 2025, reason yet to be unraveled, shockingly, this promise is suing for fulfillment heretofore.
What is the offence of these Tertiary Institutions that defies forgiveness? Could the alibi be paucity of funds, considering the whooping monthly allocation to states from the federation account, as a result of subsidy removal? Could it be averred by anybody that the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of this state is not soaring? Why this modern slavery? Is it not even safe to say that Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) is dysfunctional in this regard? Or could this be an oversight? Or deliberate decision not to undergird the weak, as it is already agitating upward review of the existing #70,000.00, yet to be received by some prominent workers in Ondo State? Any government which handles education of her state with flippancy is surely throwing the future of such state into a pot and calamity.
According to Awolowo, it is clear that every citizen in a state deserves a good quality of life; and this is achievable through education and effective leadership. We need to defeat what Awolowo (1968) called the ‘THE TYRANNY OF THE FLESH AND RAPE OF DEMOCRACY. See (Awolowo’s Regime of Mental Magnitude).
It is not a load of bollocks to underscore the fact that, workers in these Institutions cannot in any way hold a candle with other state workers anent MINIMUM WAGE. Why this disparity and discrimination? This is a clear disparagement and utter subservience. We are wailing in slavery.
This is abhorrently abhorible. We demand to be treated according to Cocker. Section 17, subsection 3, paragraph (a) spanning through (h) of Nigeria 1999 Constitution (as amended), especially paragraph (e), states simply thus; “there is equal pay for equal work without discrimination on account of sex, or on any other ground whatsoever” throws weight behind this agitation and certifies that it is not a bald claim.
It is not puerile to assert that, the case of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, regarding the NEW MINIMUM WAGE is to a deep extent ree-raw, exasperating and repugnant, considering the acute anguish of varying degrees thrusting upon the livelihood of the entire workforce of this Institution.
We, the workers in the Institution are not landing on our feet for more than a decade regarding welfarism, but incessantly falling on our faces till date. This is evident in the fact that, RUGIPO workers are still receiving #18,000.00, as MINIMUM WAGE, which was upwardly reviewed in 2011 by the former President Goodluck Jonathan.
This is grossly antiquated, antediluvian and parachronistic, as no civil or public servants are still being paid this beggarly sum of money in this country. Our sufferings are, in no small measure, above our bend. To say the least, we have been in dire straits for a couple of years ago and left with a cleft stick. This is very abrasive and plaguey.
Must we perpetually take shelter in acute hunger, inability to pay children’ school fees, utility bills, house rent and their outgrowths, as consequence of sparseness of funds? Why must our leaders, who we voted into various political positions, take relish in our poverty-ridden living conditions? Why will some politicians busy looting the government treasury and workers’ entitlements will be dragged into the compass of denial and deprivation? Little wonder why the spate of BRAIN DRAIN, which is epithet, JAPA SYNDROME remains unabated in the country.
The quality of staff education is no longer coterminous with our financial capability. This is never a cold shoulder or campaign of calumny, but a humble entreaty for improved welfare of the workers of RUGIPO. Our destinies are now in shambles, save for a few. In fact, we are at the end of our tethers.
It not also undecipherable that the FEMALE HOSTEL, being sponsored by Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC) has been craving for COMPLETION for more than a decade ago, but yet to receive the expected attention.
We were all happy as a lark, when the current Chairman of this COMMISSION visited the site some months ago. We appreciate his fire in the belly over this seemingly abandoned project. It is therefore our hope that he will not break his words apropos the consummation of this utile project. The Institution is always bartering for unmatched development and not degradation.
On this score, we beseech all well-meaning Nigerians inter alia, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, National Assembly, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to help us plead with the requisite authorities in Ondo State to FULLY IMPLEMENT THE 2026 PROPOSED BUDGET FOR THE INSTITUTION, IMPLEMENT THE NEW MINIMUM WAGE CUM PAYMENT OF ITS CONCOMITANT AREARS.
“If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, then, you are an excellent leader.” –Dolly Parton
LOCAL GOVERNMENT AUTONOMY
Another veritable salient issue which leaped to my mind is local government autonomy, promulgated by the current Tinubu-led administration, which declared local government autonomy on 11th July, 2024, when the Supreme Court delivered a landmark judgment affirming the financial autonomy of local government councils. This ruling declared that the 774 Local Government Areas should receive their statutory allocations directly from the Federation Account, making it unconstitutional for state governors to hold and disburse funds through Joint State-Local Government accounts.
It is to the dismay of well meaning Nigerians that majority of the state governors did not only enervate the law but also ensured its non-functionality up to now. This autonomy is seen as a breath of fresh air and cream of the crop among various alternatives by many, to the protracted inadequate accessibility of dividends of democracy to the masses, especially the grassroots citizens.
Why must they remain nonconformist? Is this not outright contempt of court by these governors? Why must judiciary be debased by the executive arm of government? Does it mean that, the concept of RULE OF LAW has been slipped into oblivion root and branch in Nigeria, whereby everybody now wields power with impunity? Could this be borne out of avarice? Could this be a consequence of official immunity? Do they forget in a snap that everything will end one day?
It is expedient for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to use executive order to effect direct payment to the local governments and I consider it deontic to say a BIG THANK YOU to the National Assembly for its efforts towards ensuring full implementation of the ruling.
UNDUE INCURSION OF GOVERNMENT IN OBASHIP ENTHRONEMENT
It is a manifest fact that the level at which our political poobahs, especially the Governors who needlessly interfere in the enthronement of kings in our land, is so concerning and worrisome. Simply put, politicizing traditional Institutions or flaunting affluence to achieve unmerited stool has become extremely irksome, deleterious and noxious, as this is injurious to the given norms, customs, values and culture of the land.
In fact, the ancestors are seriously irated and peeved over this unwarranted political involvement, which was evident in the not-worth-salt and ridiculing kidnapping as well as killings of Obas in Yoruba land, this is so shameful.
Unarguably, the upsurge of insecurity in most of the villages and towns are being orchestrated by the mismatch of traditional rulers, who eventually remain ineffectual in the governance and protection of the villagers, rural dwellers and even those in the cities. This is an outcry to all the governors and affluent individuals, who indulge in this sinister act to immediately refrain from it for easy attainment of better life.
INSECURITY
It is not fatuous to express my tuppence worth on insecurity such as, kidnapping, terrorism, banditry, boko haram insurgency, ISWAP and Fulani herdsmen ravaging the nooks and crannies of the nation. These are seen as autochthonous. Insecurity has been in a major key for years in the country and seems intractable for the governments.
The kind-heartedness in humans as an underpinning for peaceful co-existence has been lost in many people’s conscience, hence the exponential rise of insecurity. The groundbreakers of insecurity are basically convoyed with bad governance, racism and mammonism. These moral evils have eaten deep into the various fabrics of the nation, such as economic, social and political milieus.
It is therefore not fiddle-faddle to say a big THANK YOU to President Bola Tinubu for his unflagging efforts towards exterminating insecurity in the country, especially the recent synergy with the US Army. Also, I thank the Executive Governor of the State, His Excellency Dr Lucky Orimisan Ayedatiwa for not resting on his oars in the protection of lives and property of his people. The ongoing recruitment of AMOTEKUN CORPS is a prima facie evidence to this claim.
It is simply suggestive to assert that the most potent balm of the Gilead to this enigmatic situation is to ‘GO BACK TO THE ROOT.’ This measure should be employed to stut the efforts of the security men, including the Nigerian Army.
The beauty of life does not lie in its longevity but in positive effects created while one lives.
Tersely stating, it is high time we all, to wit, the sponsors of various criminalities, the perpetrators of evils acts, the rich, the poor, the sages, rejigged our breath and britches for us to have near pristine society. We must always remember that our heroes past, videlicet, Chief Obafemi Jeremiah Oyeniyi Awolowo, Pa Michael Adekunle Ajasin, Benjamin Nnamdi Azikwe, Abubarkar Tafawa Balewa to mention but a few, had done their own part in humanity before their sleep of the just. Interestingly, their legacies remain amaranthine.
Death is inevitable to all mindless of whom you are, either, the President, the Senator, the House of Representative Member, the Governor, the Speaker of the House, the House of Assembly Member, the Commissioner, the Local Government Chairman or the masses. What would you like to be remembered for? I therefore passionately exhort us all to swiftly swing into positive actions and shrug off riddle me ree in our yens for humaneness.
“The true test of ‘good’ governance is the degree to which it delivers on the promise of human rights: civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights.” -UN OHCHR.
“Good governance is the art of putting wise thought into prudent action in a way that advances the well-being of those governed” –DIANE KALEN-SUKRA.
Comr. Ojo Akinyemi
Department of Social Science,
Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo.
07038374883
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