1>>Lecturers in many of the nation’s tertiary
institutions
are
facing hard times due to non-payment of their
salaries
and
other entitlements, The PUNCH investigations have
revealed.
The findings showed that some of tertiary
institutions,
comprising universities, polytechnics and colleges of
education, owed their lecturers and other workers
between
two and 13 months’ salaries.
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The development, our correspondents gathered, had
resulted in industrial actions and exposure of their
family
members to hard times. It has also disrupted
academics
in
many of the institutions.
For instance, at the Tai Solarin College of Education,
Omu
Ijebu, Ogun State, one of our correspondents
gathered
that
its authorities owed the lecturers 13 months’ salaries
as
of
the end of June.
Following this, a majority of the lecturers have
stayed
away
from the school in order to seek other ways of
survival.
In fact, three weeks ago in Abeokuta, Ogun State
capital,
their students protested against the plight of their
lecturers.
The Student Union President, Ibrahim Dario, who led
the
protest, said the issue of unpaid salaries had forced
their
lecturers out of school.
“It is skeletal lecture regime that we now operate at
TASCE,
since our lecturers are being owed 13 months’
salaries.
They
only come when they could raise money for
transportation.
“We have paid our tuition and deserve to be taught,
but
we
are not getting value for our money. We are
appealing to
the
state government to pay our lecturers, so that full
lectures
can resume.”
The Chairman, Colleges of Education Academic Staff
Union,
TASCE chapter, Dr. Dan Oludipe, said the lecturers in
the
institution were experiencing hard times, based on
non-
payment of their 13-months’ salaries.
Oludipe, who said that they received only January,
February,
March and August salaries last year, noted they had
yet
to
get salaries in 2016.
He added, “We are not on strike but we have
withdrawn
our
services in terms of lecturing, attending to meetings
and
examinations, because we do not have the
wherewithal
to
transport ourselves to and from school. We are
appealing to
the state government to pay us our money.”
In Ondo State, workers, including lecturers at the
Adekunle
Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, embarked on
strike
on
Monday to kick against the non-payment of the
salaries.
Their counterparts at the State University of Science
and
Technology, Okitipupa, had a few days ago
commenced
their
own industrial action.
According to the Chairman of the AAUA’s chapter of
the
Academic Staff Union of Universities, Dr. Sola
Fayose,
the
authorities owe lecturers three months’ salaries.
He explained, “The school owes our salaries in two
phases.
We received half salary from December to March
and we
have not been paid any salary from April to date, so
we
have
to withdraw our services, starting from today
(Monday)
until
we receive our salaries.”
Similarly, the Chairman of the OSUSTECH’s chapter
of
the
Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities,
Mr.
Dayo
Temowo, said the strike in the institution would
continue
until they received their salaries.
He said, “The state government owes us five months’
salaries
from February to June. That is why we commenced
the
strike. Our agitation for the payment of the arrears
is
very
strong. As I speak to you, we are on strike.”
According to the University of Ibadan, Academic
Staff
Union
of Universities Chairman, Omole Ayodeji, the ivory
tower
has been having a shortfall of N301m in its
allocation
from
the Federal Government since last December. The
development, he said, had resulted in the workers
being
paid less than 100 per cent of their salaries.
Ayodeji noted that as of June, the school owed both
the
academic and non-academic staff about N900m.
He said, “Workers in the institution have been
receiving
91
per cent of their salaries. This is because the school
was
having a shortfall of N310m from what comes to it
from
federal allocation. We showed understanding when
the
budget was not passed. But after it was passed, the
authorities said during a meeting with workers
representatives that the arrears of salaries could
not be
paid
because the FG had not paid full allocation to the
school.
The situation has remained the same.”
A few weeks ago, its Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Idowu
Olayinka,
said that with 6,000 workers in its payroll, it needed
about
N878m to pay monthly salaries.
One of our correspondents gathered that as of
January,
the
ivory tower received only N782m.
The Oyo State Government also owes members of
staff
of
The Polytechnic, Ibadan. A source said the
government
owed
workers in the school five months’ salaries.
Meanwhile, at the federal universities, including the
University of Lagos, University of Nigeria and the
University
of Calabar, among others, their authorities have
been
regular with the payment of the workers’ salaries.
At the Cross River University of Technology also, its
ASUU
Chairman, Dr. Emma Ettah, told one of our
correspondents
that its management did not owe them. He, however,
lamented the inability of the state government to pay
their
check-off dues running into millions of naira.
Ettah added, “We have been paid our salaries up to
date.
The problem we have with the government is the
check-
off
due that has not been paid.”
For the Provost, Akwa Ibom State College of
Education,
Afaha Nsit, Dr. Patrick Uko, the state government
does
not
owe workers of the school.
The Public Relations Officer of the Akwa Ibom State
Polytechnic, Mrs. Gloria Udoudom, also confirmed
that
workers of the polytechnic were not being owed
salaries.
According to a senior employee of the Akwa Ibom
State
University, who craved anonymity, the government
does
not
owe them salaries.
All attempts to talk with the state Nigeria Labour
Congress
Chairman, Mr. Etim Ukpong, failed, as he did not
answer
our
telephone inquiry. He also did not respond to text
message
sent to him as of 7pm on Monday.
