Posted by There will soon be a fee hike at Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY) in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
The financial crisis at the polytechnic has left it unable to pay its employees, the has learned.
On Thursday, October 5th, MAPOLY employees went on an indefinite strike over three months’ worth of unpaid wages and benefits.
In an interview with polytechnic spokeswoman Yemi Ajibola said the institution was unable to pay the salaries because “there is no money.”
Ajibola claims that the polytechnic ran out of money after the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) began ‘dictating’ the amount of full-time and part-time students the school could admit.
According to Ajibola, MAPOLY has reduced its admission capacity from more than 10,000 pupils to little around 4,000.
A high-ranking polytechnic official who requested anonymity said the administration had informed Governor Dapo Abiodun of the necessity for a price hike and was waiting for his assent.
When the source said, “Once Governor Abiodun gives his nod for an increase in fees, the new amount would be announced to all students,” it was clear that a fee hike was imminent.
Protesting the rise in the Acceptance Fee from N25,000 to N35,000, MAPOLY students came to the streets of Abeokuta on Monday and Tuesday, urging the Governor to take action.
Students are currently laying blame for the polytechnic’s current state at the feet of the Rector, Dr. Adeoye Odedeji.
As the alleged architect of the problems that have befallen the once-independent stronghold of learning, the Rector has also received a vote of no confidence from the various unions.
In 2016, former Governor Ibikunle Amosun made a point of saying that MAPOLY was not an institution that would wait for government subventions before taking care of its financial duties, including the construction of its infrastructure.
When it was suggested that the Rector was to blame for the polytechnic’s current predicament, the PRO pushed back, asking what the Rector would have done in the face of financial constraints.
“They” (the staff) “have access to the polytechnic’s account,” he stated. They are well aware of the lack of funds. How do they propose the Rector, administration, or bursar get funds for salary payments?
We are three months behind on pay, yet the unions have access to the polytechnic’s bank account. Consequently, a vote of no confidence will fail.
From what our correspondent has heard, the polytechnic used to get bank loans to cover salary costs when things became crazy in 2021. However, it now looks that the Rector is unwilling to go down that road again.
Since MAPOLY’s financial problems have persisted for more than a decade, the company’s leadership has decided to raise its fees across the board.
This is the primary source of income for the polytechnic, so the administration has formed a committee to investigate student tuition. That has been finished, and the governor has been given the recommendation to examine and approve. And so, we wait.
Raising tuition rates is the only surefire way to ensure that we have enough money to address all these issues. What do we do with N50,000 every session if students in our country are charged that much?
The number of students we can accept each semester has been capped by JAMB. Because of this, there is a lack of money, and the only solution is to raise school fees.
If the governor approves the new tuition proposal, our reporter has learned that HND students may have to pay as much as N100,000 or more.
Government of Ogun in a Pickle
The Ogun State Government is reportedly on the fence about whether or not to approve a planned fee hike at the top-tier Ogun Polytechnic, as reported.
The Governor, according to a source, is unhappy about the prospect of a price increase at a time when families are still struggling to recover from the loss of the fuel subsidy.
According to a government official, the Governor is on the fence about whether or not to approve the management’s proposed increase in tuition after learning that many low-income students might be forced to drop out.
Similarly, Abiodun is not prepared to see students protesting the new tuition rates in the streets.
Meanwhile, worried parents have begged Gov. Abiodun to reject the plan to increase school fees, saying it would be particularly hard on them at a time when the economy is struggling.
What the State Government ultimately decides remains to be seen.