The Campaign for Democratic and Workers’ Rights (CDWR), Oyo State Chapter, sees the renaming of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, to Omololu Olunloyo Polytechnic, Ibadan, by Governor Seyi Makinde as mere symbolism. While we recognize this move as a tribute to the late Dr. Omololu Olunloyo, a former governor of Oyo State and the pioneer rector of the institution, we must stress that such an act, will amount to nothing if it is not followed by genuine efforts towards the real and transformative development of the institution. The renaming of the Polytechnic, on its own, does not address the deep-seated problems that confront both students and workers of the institution. In other words, what is urgently needed at the Polytechnic is not a change of name, but a fundamental transformation rooted in adequate public funding, a comprehensive renewal of infrastructure, improved welfare conditions for staff and students, democratic governance, and the provision of a supportive learning environment for students. Without these concrete steps, the renaming exercise is an empty ritual.
In this regard, we call on the Governor Seyi Makinde-led administration to go beyond mere symbolism and seriously commit to a concrete, transparent, and comprehensive development agenda for the Polytechnic. Such a plan must include adequate financial provision for the rehabilitation of many dilapidated structures across the institution, the acquisition of up-to-date equipment, and a general upgrade of teaching and learning facilities. Equally important is the need to improve the welfare conditions of both academic and non-academic staff through better remuneration, job security, and regular opportunities for training and professional development. For students, the government must make the provision for bursaries and scholarships, while also ensuring a drastic reduction in school fees in order to make education more accessible to children of workers and poor families across the state.
We also call for an enthronement of principle of democratic governance in the polytechnic. The resources and decision-making structures of the institution must be subjected to the control and oversight of elected representatives of workers and students. This is in contrast to the current bureaucratic and top-down structure, in which critical functions of the institution, including financial management, are placed under the control of an external consultancy firm known as Platinum. This arrangement not only undermines transparency and accountability but is also alien to the provisions of the Polytechnic Act.
Alongside the above, the CDWR expresses deep concerns at the continued existence and expansion of anti-labour practices in the Polytechnic, most notably the casualization of labour. It is disheartening to learn that more than 80% of the institution’s workforce, comprising of both academic and non-academic staff, are employed as casual workers, under exploitative conditions and with poor pay. Rather than taking steps to regularize the employment status of these workers, the current administration, under the leadership of Dr. Taiwo Lasisi, appears more interested in suppressing the efforts of trade unions to organize and resist these unjust policies.
This is exemplified by the recent interference in the internal affairs of the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU). We have it on credible authority that the union’s scheduled branch election was postponed after it became clear that individuals loyal to the administration had been mobilized to incite violence and disrupt the process. The aim was to prevent the emergence of radical and principled candidates who are committed to challenging the administration’s anti-labour practices. Even more troubling is the information that some of these candidates were allegedly set up and arrested at the behest of the Polytechnic’s management. These actions represent not only a brazen assault on the fundamental rights of workers but also a dangerous erosion of democratic norms within an institution that should stand as a bastion of intellectual freedom and civil liberties.
We strongly condemn these actions and demand that the administration immediately ceases all forms of intimidation, repression, and interference in union activities. Institutions of higher learning must be a model of respect for workers’ rights and uphold the principles of freedom of association, collective bargaining, and democratic expression.
Finally, we will like to reiterate that renaming of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, will only be meaningful if it is backed by sustained, honest, and transparent efforts to improve the institution’s funding, infrastructure, governance, and the general well-being of its students and staff. What is required now is not ceremonial or cosmetic change, but a deep and practical transformation that will have a tangible impact on the lives of all members of the polytechnic community. Without such an action, the renaming exercise will remain a hollow symbolic gesture, disconnected from the urgent realities on the ground.
Signed
Abiodun Bamigboye (Abbey Trotsky)
Oyo State Coordinator for the CDWR
