Members of the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU), in the South West and the Kwara States, have lauded the Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, for his administration’s commitment to revitalizing the state-owned Tai Solarin College of Education (TASCE), Omu- Ijebu.
They were in Ogun State to stage a protest over what it described as untold hardship its members are facing, in respect of salary arrears, and non-payment of promotion allowances among others.
Addressing newsmen in Abeokuta, on Thursday, the National Vice President of COEASU, Olusegun Lana, said they were impressed by the outcome of the meeting they had with Abiodun, on Wednesday, as regards some of its agitations.
He explained that the planned protest was thereafter shelved based on the approval of an undisclosed amount to address welfare issues.
“Our members have tolerated untold hardship for long in the institution. The promotion of our members since 2016 has not been accorded with financial benefits. Our members have been subjected to slavery salaries before the advent of this administration.
“As a caring union, we prefer to explore amicable peaceful resolutions in the quest of our agitations. We are impressed and satisfied with the effort of Prince Dapo Abiodun in addressing some of our agitations,” he said.
Lana, however, said that the Union would resume their two-week suspended strike if the Federal government through the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) fails to remit their salary deductions.
The union said it is “immoral, illegal and highly criminal for the IPPIS to withhold their salary deductions without remitting to the appropriate body.
He said, “We are warning the Federal government to quickly do something about the challenges posed by IPPIS. The fact that the National Executive Council suspended the strike does not mean it is Uhuru yet because IPPIS still remains a serious challenge to our system.
“As we speak, third-party deductions, rightfully deducted from our salaries in Federal colleges are still be withheld by IPPIS. This is not satisfactorily, if you have paid net salaries, why are you withholding third-party deductions?
“Because a staff who did not commit himself or herself to cooperative or any other commitment to any third party would have gotten all his money when you pay the net salary, so if staff is deliberately thrift and has authorised you to make deductions from his or her salary to pay his trade union, to his cooperative societies, it is immoral, illegal and highly criminal for any employer to pay salary and withhold third party deduction.
“We are warning the Federal government and the office of the Accountant General of the Federation to please do something urgently on this issue without further delay because it may threaten the peace that we just brokered with the Federal government.”
ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
and then