Workers of the Ondo State-owned tertiary institutions have decried non-payment of their salaries ranging from four to 12 months by the state government.
The workers who attributed the development to the poor funding of the institutions, said most of the workers have been turned into beggars to feed their families.
The workers spoke at a news briefing in Akure under the umbrella of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Ondo State-owned Tertiary Institutions comprising of National Association of Academic Technologies (NAAT), Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics (SSANIP) from the four Tertiary Institutions owned by Ondo State government.
The institutions include; Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko; Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa; University of Medical Sciences, Ondo and Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo.
Speaking with newsmen through Comrade 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 our members.
He said ” The truth must be said, funding of our institutions was better off during the immediate past administration. During this time, grants for capital projects and subventions were released as at and when due unlike what we are presently experiencing.
“Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko is presently on monthly wage bill of about N300m whereas it has been receiving a paltry sum of N148m as monthly subvention compared to a monthly subvention of N212m being released by the immediate past Administration.
The reduction in the subventions affected all the tertiary institutions in the state and no concrete reason was given for taking such a decision.
“Today, our tertiary institutions are owing staff several outstanding salaries ranging between four to 12 months in arrears. The worst of these institutions is Rufus Giwa polytechnic, Owo with outstanding salary arrears of 12 months.
“As we speak, AAUA Management is owing our members outstanding Earned Allowances for ten years, that is, 2009 to 2018. Some of the institutions are yet to implement the payment of Responsibility Allowance, Excess Workload Allowance among others, as of today.”
He however called on the state government to attend to the demands of the institutions as a matter of urgency, “by releasing bailout to the various institutions to pay all withheld deductions and retirement benefits of our retired members.
“Immediate increment in monthly subvention to all the tertiary institutions in the state since education is a social service, payment of the new minimum wage to our members and payment of all our outstanding salaries and Earned Allowances.
“We are using this opportunity to appeal to all the good people of the state, our royal fathers, religious leaders, and APC leadership at both the state and national levels that their intervention is urgently needed to resolve all the identified problems once and for all.
“If the issues are not resolved on/before the end of the ongoing national strike, we may be forced to declare an industrial dispute with the state government and the Management of all our tertiary institutions in the State.”
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