The teachers of Obafemi Awolowo University Staff School, Ile-Ife, on Tuesday protested the failure of the university’s authority to pay over 18 months’ salaries. The teachers, who trooped out with placards bearing various inscriptions, obstructed vehicular movement while demanding immediate payment of their salaries in arrears. They were joined by members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), as they also demanded the inclusion of workers of the institution’s staff school on its payroll.
Speaking on behalf of the protesters, Adeleye Olufemi said the university has refused to pay their salaries. “We have protested on several occasions but the Ogunbodede administration will always turn deaf ears,” he said.
Another protester, who declined to say her name because she was scared of victimisation, said many of the teachers in the school find getting their ‘daily meal’ difficult. because they were neglected. “There are times we held meetings that we should go on strike but we later discovered that when we do this, we are only punishing the innocent kids in school,” she said.
The chairman, SSANU OAU chapter, Ademola Oketunde, said the federal government’s non-payment of salaries is affecting teachers’ ability to give their best to the next generation. The crisis on non-payment of staff school teachers in OAU started in 2016 and several protests have been held, without solution.
Efforts by this newspaper to reach Abiodun Olanrewaju, the school’s spokesperson at the time of filing this report were not successful. His known telephone numbers were not connecting and text message sent did not get a response.
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