Some lecturers harass female students - Fayose

Some lecturers came under attack from Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose, who accused them of “smoking Indian hemp and harassing female students”.

Fayose made the allegation yesterday during the 22nd Convocation of the College of Education, Ikere- Ekiti where 2,348 students graduated and two distinguished Nigerians received honorary fellowships.

Chairman of Capital Oil and Gas Ifeanyi Ubah and Deputy Minority Whip of the Senate, Senator Abiodun Olujimi were bestowed with honorary fellowships.

Fayose congratulated the graduating students and advised them to be of good behaviour anywhere they find themselves.

But he lambasted some lecturers for not showing good examples to students by intimidating and harassing female students, victimising male students and smoking Indian hemp.

Fayose: “A lecturer should not be found intimidating and harassing female students. Remember that those female students being harassed and victimised, it may be the turn of your children tomorrow.

“Some lecturers smoke Indian hemp, they teach students how to manipulate books, converting “15” to “51”.

Fayose also condemned abuse of power by political leaders who he accused of intimidating fellow Nigerians noting that some of those who wielded power in the past now need “rehabilitation.”

He said: “Most leaders need rehabilitation after office because they have over enjoyed while in office. By now, they should have banned siren in Nigeria. One of the most irritating thing to me is siren.”

The governor urged the college authorities to look inward to raise money expressing regrets that people find it difficult to pay tax in Ekiti.

The governor urged the people to support his administration by paying their taxes to give government the opportunity to provide amenities and infrastructures.

Some lecturers harass female students - Fayose

Osun lecturers decry nonpayment of eight months salaries

Lecturers under the aegis of Council of Academic Staff Unions of Osun State-Owned Tertiary Institutions have described the nonpayment of their eight months salaries despite the release of bailout as the zenith of insensitivity.

The lecturers, who are members of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, Iree and Esa Oke and the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union, Ilesa and Ila Orangun in a statement made available to our correspondent on Sunday dissociated themselves from the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Nigeria Labour Congress and Osun State Government.

The statement was signed by the CASUOSTI Chairman, Lasisi Jimoh; secerayry, Olusegun Lana; Chairman Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic, Iree, Dotun Omisore; ASUP chairman, Esa Oke, Adesola Akande; COEASU Ila-Orangun Chairman, Segun Onifade and COEASU Ilesa Chairman, Oladele Ojo.

The council accused the state government of not remitting contributory pension deductions from their salaries for many months.

The lecturers said rather than addressing the factors which forced them to embarked on a strike running to four months, the state government was wasting money to blackmail them and to coerce them to resume work.

But they vowed not to succumb to the tactics, saying the strike was a fight for their rights and they would not give up no matter the intimidation unless the issues were addressed.

The statement read, “Non-payment of salaries for the past eight months and leave bonuses for two years even after collecting bailout fund from the Federal Government for that purpose.

Osun lecturers decry nonpayment of eight months salaries

Stop cutting down our salaries under any guise - Osun lecturers warn Aregbesola

The Council of Academic Staff Union of Osun State Owned Tertiary Institutions has called on stakeholders in the state to prevail on Governor Rauf Aregbesola to stop cutting down their salaries under any guise.

Aregbesola

The lecturers said this in a statement signed by its Chairman, Lasisi Jimoh; Secretary, Olusegun Lana; and Public Relations Officer, Dotun Omisore, and made available to our correspondent in Osogbo on Tuesday.

The body consist of lecturers from the two state polytechnics in Ire and Esa Oke, as well as the two colleges of education in Ila and Ilesa.

Jimoh said rather than seeking an end to the ongoing industrial crisis in the institutions, the state government complicated the situation by cutting the lecturers’ salaries.

He stated that the lecturers’ salaries were cut in January 2015 and the trend continued in February. The council also accused the state government of unilaterally pruning off the financial effects of the 2014 promotion.

The statement read, “In our efforts to seek justice amicably, we consulted the state government through the Chief of Staff to the governor and the Head of Service in separate meetings. At those meetings, government admitted our position that the financial effect of 2014 promotions and ‘migration of lower cadre’ are irreversible. We had mutual understanding that our salaries would be paid correctly once the then expected bailout fund is received from the Federal Government.

“Now that the much expected bailout fund has been received, the state government has concluded plans to sustain the payout contrary to the principles of fair play, equity and collective agreement between our union and the government.

“Do we deserve to be short paid when all our outstanding salaries, allowances an leave bonuses were duly factored into the amount requested as bailout?”

The lecturers stated that they did not deserve the kind of treatment the state government was melting out to them having been owed over six months salaries.

Jimoh said lecturers in Osun State-owned institutions were the least paid in the country and at the same time they were the most taxed.

Despite being the least paid, he stated that their workload was much higher than their colleagues’ in other states and Federal Government owned institutions.

Efforts to speak to the media aide to the governor, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, proved abortive. Calls put across to him did not connect while the response to the text message sent to his telephone was still being awaited as of the time of filing this report.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Socialist Movement has called on the governor to pay full salaries to workers and pensioners.

The DSM said this in a statement signed by its Osun State Coordinator, Mr. Alfred Adegoke, and secretary, Mr. Kola Ibrahim.

Stop cutting down our salaries under any guise - Osun lecturers warn Aregbesola