Kogi lecturers insist on strike

LECTURERS in Kogi State, under the aegis of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of tertiary institutions, have insisted on continuing with the strike action they commenced in January, even as they say they are open to further negotiations to end the industrial impasse.

In a communique signed by its chairman, Comrade Boluromi Sunday; and secretary, Comrade Awodi Joel, JAC said it was ready to bring sanity to the education sector of the state, but that Governor Yahaya Bello should be wary of some “czars” in his administration, who are “overzealous and over-ambitious at initiating inhuman policies.”

The committed expressed concern over the claim by the state government that salaries had been paid up to date, saying that its records showed that “cleared staff” have not been paid to date.

It said, “These people are still our staff and have not been found guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction. Therefore, they should be paid to date. Selective payment has been observed in the payment of cleared staff.”

On the issue of omissions, the committee claimed that some members were earlier cleared and paid, but their names were omitted in subsequent screening reports.

“A lot of our staff studying abroad are in limbo because they are neither cleared nor uncleared. Contrary to government’s pronouncement at the stakeholders’ meeting of 30th April, 2017, their records show that they have neither been cleared nor paid,” the communiqué stated.

JAC, however, advised government to liaise with the governing councils (of the institutions) with a view to discussing and ameliorating the peculiar needs of the respective institutions in good time, and that the councils should act immediately on the issue of 2015/2016 employment to avoid shutdown of some faculties and departments.