We will not suspend strike until you pay our 16-month salary – Oyo workers tell Ajimobi

Striking workers in the six tertiary institutions owned by Oyo State government on Friday declared that contrary to speculation that they have suspended the strike, workers in the six institutions will not return to work until the state government headed by Senator Abiola Ajimobi pay their salaries ranging from 9 to 16 months.

The angry workers made this declaration shortly after members of the Non-Academic Staff Union, (NASU), The Polytechnic Ibadan chapter held an inter-faith prayer to call on God to answer their prayers and torch the state government’s heart in payment of their salary arrears and other entitlements.

Newsflash247 recalls that the six institutions include; The Polytechnic, Ibadan; Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, Oyo; Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology; The Ibarapa Polytechnic, Eruwa; The Oke-Ogun Polytechnic, Saki and College of Education, Lanlate, on Friday November 3rd, 2017, declared a full-blown strike action over non payment of their salaries and other entitlements.

NASU Chairman, The Polytechnic Ibadan chapter, Comrade Ibrahim Adekunle Akande and Chairman, Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Polytechnic, The Polytechnic Ibadan Chapter, Comrade Gbenga Akinola who spoke on behalf of their colleagues declared that “Unions in the six institutions would not suspend the strike action except government pay all the outstanding salary arrears ranging from 9 to 16 months and restore 100% salary payment”.

Akande and Akinola while speaking with our correspondence noted that the inter-faith prayer was necessary for God to torch hearts of those in power to do the needful and protection of members of staff in the institution, The Polytechnic Ibadan.

The duo insisted that the government did not show sign of concern since the strike action started, hence they will continue to remain resolute until positive actions are taken by the government.

“That the government did not show sign of concern and the union would not suspend the strike action except government pay all the outstanding salary arrears ranges between 9 to 16 months and restore 100% salary payment.

“This information does not emanate from the Joint Action Committee of six tertiary institutions in Oyo state and we want the public to disregard it.

“The source is those traders who called themselves unionists that collected money from management and government appointee to scuttle the struggle.

“However, the unions would not suspend the strike action until the government does the needful, payment of all the outstanding salary arrears and restoration of 100% salary. Those who are behind this will never have peace of mind.

“Up till now we have not seen any seriousness from the government side, because we have been to Oyo State government severally, sometimes ago we submitted a paper and we recommended that they should be taking the tuition fees of the students if they felt that all the tertiary institutions can urgument the rest 75 percent, that they should be taking all, so that they will be paying us full salary.

“We have submitted the paper to Oyo State House of Assembly, they have been trying as much as possible to see the governor to discuss this matter but up till now, we have not been able to see tangible thing from the government side.

“Well, the Bible says, that the 12 disciples, there must be Judas there is Judas among the striking workers who happened to be a close ally of the management and the government, they are behind the satanic rumour.

“Because we see no reason why all of us will be suffering like this and some will gather themselves that they should go and truncate this striggle. They wanted to truncate this striggle because of their selfish interest. They have been attempting to truncate the striggle at least almost three weeks now, but we are able to tame them.

“And as at now, Oyo State government spent a huge amount of money to employ an international audit firm, KPMG. They have been to all the institutions and up till now, they have submitted the report, but the government refused to implement it. And we have had it that it is the report that the Oyo State House of Assembly wanted to base its decision on. But, they should make it snappy

“But the main thing, because our people are suffering, almost two weeks ago, we lost a staff, in the cause of burying the person, another person slumped, it took the intervention of people around to revive the man.

“People are dying, people are suffering and the government is feeling comfortable, that is highly insensitivity to the plight of the workers.

“There is nothing we can do than to appeal to God and all Nigerians, to please help us beg the governor. If we offended him, he should please pardon us. And if it were to be all the tertiary institutions heads he fell offended, he should deal with them according to whatever they might have done wrong. Because we cannot be suffering and keep silence. We are not in favour of heads of institutions, because they are not given us anything.

“If truly we are suffering from their misdeeds, the governor should let us know so that we will know the way forward.

“The essence of this prayer is that whoever wants to be an obstacle not to achieve what we want to achieve, that God should intervene. We want God to intevenve. That is why we orgamise the prayer”.

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