PROTESTING members of the Non Academic Staff Union (NASU) and Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU), Osun State University (UNIOSUN) chapter, on Tuesday stormed major streets of Osogbo demanding for the immediate sack of the Vice Chancellor (VC) of the institution, Professor Labode Popoola over alleged stoppage of their March salary.
Displaying various placards, denouncing what they termed dictatorial style of Popoola, the protesters, numbering over 50 stormed the popular Olaiya junction, Osogbo, Osun State capital around 12.10 pm.
Vehicular movement and socio-economic activities around the area were halted for more than 30 minutes, just as they marched through Gbongan-Ibadan expressway to the Osun State House of Assembly, where they sought the intervention of the lawmakers over their demands.
Speaking during a chat with journalists, the spokesperson of the demonstrators, who is also the chairman, Joint Action Committee (JAC) in UNIOSUN, Comrade Lekan Adiat stated that “about three weeks ago, we embarked on an industrial action and the Osun House of Assembly invited us pleaded with us to suspend our industrial action and at the same time, the management of UNIOSUN was also warned to hold any action until the House finalise their investigation.”
According to Adiat, who is also the chairman of SSANU in the university, “to our dismay, the management of Osun State University under the leadership Professor Labode Popoola paid the March salary of all teaching staff in the university stopped the payment of the non-teaching staff. He has waged war against the non-teaching staff of the university.”
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However, when contacted, UNIOSUN VC, Professor Popoola declared that he did not stop the March salary of the non-teaching staff, explaining that the stoppage was the decision of the institution’s Visitor, Governor Rauf Aregbesola and the Governing Council.
He clarified that the development might not be unconnected to the implementation of “no work, no pay” circular issued by the Governing Council which was addressed to all categories of the university’s workforce.
Popoola further emphasised that “my principals are the Governing Council and the Visitor and if the Visitor approved the position of the Governing Council that people who did not work should not be paid, then who are mine because I am also an employee of the university. What they are fighting me for is beyond what they are talking about. It is because we have blocked all the leakages.”
“How can anyone in his right senses say that the VC, who is running a cost-saving administration, denying himself of pleasures ensures full salaries are paid regularly before month end, stabilising academic calendar against all odds be branded as nonchalant to the well being of the institution. These people should tell the whole world how they have mortgaged their salaries such that some of them go home with less than N2,000 in a month,” he remarked.
It is recalled that members NASU, SSANU and NAAT under the auspices of Joint Action Committee (JAC) had on Monday, 5th of March, 2018 embarked on indefinite strike to demand the payment of their earned allowances.
They were also seeking the immediate withdrawal of new condition of service introduced by the management of UNIOSUN for lack of inputs of workers and the reinstatement of staff members allegedly removed from the payroll.
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