IBADAN – The Academic Staff Union, Emmanuel Alayande College of Education (EACOED), Oyo, has called on the Oyo State Government to alleviate their suffering by paying the 16 months salary arrears owed its members.
The Chairman of the union, Mr Olusegun Oyewunmi, made the call in Ibadan on Wednesday.
Oyewunmi said that the members were owed 16 months salary arrears, saying the accumulated salary arrears started since January 2016 when the subvention given to the institution was reduced to 25 per cent.
“When the subvention was reduced to 25 per cent, our members started receiving 25 per cent until June 2018 when it was increased to 57 per cent. As at today, the 16 months salary arrears remain unpaid.
“Our members decided to embark on a legitimate strike action, having endured the hardship from 2016 till June 2018,’’ the union leader said in a statement.
He said that the situation had led to some of their children dropping out of school, while some of their members are lying critically ill in hospitals.
According to him, we have made several entreaties to the state government through traditional rulers, political office holders, the state legislators and APC national chairman, without positive result.
Oyewunmi listed the union’s demands as regular payment of 100 per cent salaries and payment of the 16 months salary arrears.
He said that the union members could not continue to collect 57 per cent wages for 100 per cent services they offered.
The union leader said that the management and the governing council of the institution had not taken any concrete step about their welfare.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the union had on Tuesday staged a peaceful protest at the Governor’s Office in Ibadan over their demands.
Chief Moses Adeyemo, the Deputy Governor, appealed to the protesting lecturers to be patient with government, promising that the issue would be resolved before the end of the current administration.
The deputy governor urged the striking workers to resume work, saying that government would do all within its capability to bring back the good days.
“The paucity of fund issue is a nationwide thing borne out of economic crisis. Our government came on board in 2011 and we did not owe salaries until 2014 when the nation faced economic crisis,’’ Adeyemo said.
