From: Wole Balogun, Ado-Ekiti
Academic activities have been crippled at the College of
Education, Ikere-Ekiti, as angry staff of the institution are protesting
unpaid eight month arrears of their salaries.
Daily Sun gathered that the protest which started, on Monday, continued till Wednesday, as the angry
workers chanted solidarity songs and barricaded the college’s main gate for
two days running.
The protest was led by members of the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU)
but was joined by members of the College of Education Academic Staff
Union (COEASU).
The workers accused the Provost, Prof. Mojisola Oyarekua, of allegedly
‘sitting’ on their three months salaries they claimed was released by
the state government to offset part of the arrears.
The protest, on Wednesday, lasted for about three hours during which the
workers prevented vehicles from going in and coming out of the campus.
Some of the workers clashed with policemen during the Monday’s
protest.
While the protesters allowed students into the campus, no worker was
allowed access in an out. The action has disrupted the second semester
examination that was supposed to start on Monday.
Speaking with reporters during the protest, NASU Secretary, Mr. Wale
Animasaun, said the decision to carry out the action was reached at a
congress held last Wednesday in which the college management was given
up till last Friday to pay their salaries or face a mass action.
Animasaun clarified that the protest was not against the government of
Governor Ayo Fayose but against the college management led by
Oyarekua.
He said: “The governor has released three months out of the salary
arrears owed us but the college management has refused to pay us. They
used to give us net pay but they have even refused to pay anything.
“This is despite the fact that they are generating revenue from other
sources like the N2,500 each candidate pays as post-UTME fee,
reparation fee students paid by all students during the last riot and
other miscellaneous fees.
“We workers of College of Education, Ikere-Ekiti are suffering and we
will not allow anybody no matter how highly placed to deny us of our
legitimate rights.
“This protest will continue until our demands are met, the exam that
supposed to start on Monday will be on hold and we want to plead with
students to show understanding with us.”
But the Provost, Mrs. Oyarekua, denied receipt of three months
salaries from the state government maintaining that the college
authorities had not received any subvention from the state government.
She said: “The allegation (of holding on to three month salaries) is
not true. In fact, I am embarrassed by the allegation because we have
not got any subvention from the government.
“A particular union is behind the latest crisis in the college; people
are free to go and verify from the office of the Accountant General on
the situation of things. We have not got any subvention from the
government.”