Tertiary institutions workers in Ondo demand payment of 12 months’ salaries, call out state govt

Workers of the Ondo State-owned tertiary institutions have slammed the state government for failing to pay their salaries ranging from upwards of 4 to 12 months and the poor funding of the institutions.

The employees claimed the situation has left them in a precarious financial position, forcing them to rely on begging to provide for their families.

The employees spoke at a press conference held in Akure by the Joint Action Committee, JAC, of the state-owned tertiary institutions, which is made up of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, the Non-Academic Staff Union, NASU, and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics, SSANIP.

Speaking with newsmen through Tayo Ogungbeni, Chairman, JAC-ODSTI, urged Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu to immediately increase monthly subvention to all the tertiary institutions in the state since education is a social service and immediate payment of the new minimum wage to their members.

Many pensioners from the institutions who left their jobs more than ten years ago, according to Ogungbeni, are unable to access their retirement benefits.

Other issues on his list included the 2009 federal government deal with the unions not being implemented, the national minimum wage not being implemented and Governing Councils not existing at the institutions, among others.

Ogungbeni said that strike action would be averted if the state government approved increment in monthly subvention to all the tertiary institutions, begin payment of the new minimum wage, payment of their outstanding salaries and Earned Allowances and released bailout funds to the various institutions to pay all withheld deductions and retirement benefits of our retired members.