Despite bailout, Osun lecturers “unpaid for 9 months”

The Academic Staff of Osun State-owned tertiary institutions on Monday took to the streets of Osogbo, the Osun State capital, to protest the delay in the payment of their salaries in spite of the receipt of bailout from the Federal Government.

They also complained of the non-remittance of their contributory pensions deductions, calling for the scrapping of the scheme in the face of the current financial problems in the state.

The lecturers under the aegis of the Council of Academic Staff Unions of Osun state-owned tertiary Institutions, chanted solidarity and anti-government songs as they marched to the House of Assembly complex.
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The lecturers had been on strike for the last four months, and they vowed not to return to the classroom until their nine-month salary was settled by the state government.

They thronged the House of Assembly Complex as early as 8.00am on Monday, with placards of different inscriptions reading “save our souls, “enough is enough, pay our salary,” “we reject half salary” among others.

The secretary of the union, Segun Lana, said the lecturers could no longer bear the agony of the situation, hence the need for the state government to respond to their needs as soon as possible.

While addressing the aggrieved lecturers, the Chief Whip ‎of the House, Folorunsho Bamisayemi, appealed to them to exercise patience, saying efforts were underway to ensure their demands were met.

He said the House had taken up their issue and would ensure the government addressed them adequately.

The protesters were however enraged by the attitude of the Speaker of the House, Najeem Salaam, whom they derided for walking out on them.