TASCE workers protest N1.6bn salary arrears

Vehicular traffic in Ijebu Ode was disrupted for two hours on Tuesday as staff members of the Tai Solarin College of Education, Omu-Ijebu, Ogun State staged a peaceful protest over their four years unpaid salary arrears said to be totalling N1.6bn.
The workers consisted of the three main unions in the institution – Non-Academic Staff Union, Senior Staff Union of Colleges of Education and the Colleges of Education Staff Union.
Also among the grouse of the workers were irregular payment of their salaries as well as unpaid September salary.
They were armed with placards with different inscriptions such as ‘Pay Us our 48 months’ salary arrears’, SIA, where is our September Salaries’, ‘TASCE staff are part of Ogun State’, ‘pay our salary as at when due’, ‘No irregular payment of salary’, and ’90 days make a pay’, among others.
The workers, numbering over 50, who caused gridlock along Ejinrin Road and Mobalufon areas, urged those trapped in the traffic to appeal to the State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, to pay them.
Speaking on the protest, chairman, Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union, Dr. Dan Oludipe, and his Senior Staff Union of Colleges of Education of Nigeria counterpart, Mr. Olatunji Osoba, said the move became necessary having realised that the state government through the Commissioner for Education Science and Technology was playing upon their collective intelligence.

They said they had had a series of meetings with the Commissioner for Education, Mr. Olusegun Odubela, many times, without any results.
They further noted that it was unfortunate that they needed to protest and even lobby to get their salaries.
On his part, chairman of the Non- Academic Staff Union, Mr. Chris Olusegun, said some members of the unions have died while many of their children were being sent home from school for non-payment of their school fees.
They appealed to the state governor to look at the matter with a view of finding lasting solutions to solve it.
The state government through the education and science and technology commissioner  said the 48 months’ salary arrears were owed by the Otunba Gbenga Daniel’s administration.
Odubela said the Amosun administration only owed them September salary, which would be paid immediately.
He said, “Since government is a continuum, we will settle all the salary arrears. They should exercise patience.”
Culled from: THE PUNCH