Osun lecturers not paid ‘since September 2015’, start indefinite strike

The lecturers of the four tertiary institutions belonging to Osun State are proceeding on an indefinite strike over non-payment of their salaries, their leader has announced.

According to the Chairman of the Council of Academic Staff Unions of Osun State-owned institutions, Olusegun Lana, the strike commenced today, Friday, with Osun State College of Education, Ilesa, while others join in the coming weeks.

Osun State College of Education, Ila Orangun, the Osun State Polytechnic, Iree and the Osun State College of Technology, Esa Oke, will join the strike on August 7, 8 and 15 respectively, Mr Lana disclosed on Friday morning.

Mr Lana said the strike became necessary as many of the lecturers could no longer feed their families nor afford transport fares to their places of work due to modulated salaries that have lasted for 34 months.

The lecturers said the strike will remain total until the state government settle all arrears including salaries since September 2015 and withheld half deductions such as corporative society deductions, bank loan repayment and union check-offs.

However, reacting to the development, the state Commissioner of Information, Adelani Baderinwa, told CAMPUS REPORTER in a telephone interview on Friday that the lecturers did not take the right steps.

“We know that declaration of strike is a process and we assure that they have not taken any of the steps,” said Mr Baderinwa. “I am not aware of any meeting held, I am not aware of any letter written.”

He added: “There is supposed to be a number of days of a moratorium for the government to do certain things. They are urged as lecturers not to be part of things that are not right to do.”