The
Coalition of Tai Solarin College of Education (TASCE) Staff, Omu-Ijebu, on
Tuesday embarked on what it termed protest against anti-workers policies of
Ogun State government, to press home its demand for the payment of 30-month
unpaid salaries and 48-month salary arrears, as well as other staff benefits.
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| Protesting workers of TASCE |
Addressing
newsmen at NUJ press centre, Oke-Ilewo, Abeokuta, the chairman of the
coalition, Mr. Aborisade Daniel, said that the protest became necessary after several
appeal made to Governor Ibikunle Amosun to pay the workers’ outstanding
salaries yielded no fruit.
According to
Aborisade, the workers’ demand include; payment of 30-month salaries and
48-month salary arrears; staff promotion which was not done in the last five
years; composition/inauguration of governing council which was left undone in
the last ten years; remittance of housing and cooperative society deductions to
the appropriate quarters; payment of eight years pension; implementation of
financial implication of promotion exercise from 2013 to date; recall of
suspended union leaders; massive infrastructural development of TASCE by the
state government.
The workers,
who carried placards of various inscriptions, accused Amosun’s administration
of total neglect of the institution. They complained that the Paris club refund
and bailout fund received by the state government to pay outstanding workers’
salaries were not extended to them.
The provost
of the college, Dr. Adeola Kiadese, was also accused of complicity in the
workers’ plight, as he was alleged to have paid only one month salary out of
the N400m generated internally by the institution.
Kiadese was
accused by the workers of high handedness, not possessing requisite
qualification for the position of provost and mismanaging the resources of the
institution. The workers therefore demanded for his immediate sack, and an
administrative panel of inquiry to look into his tenure.
The workers
further disclosed that due to the failure of the state government to address
their demands after the expiration of their ultimatum, they have decided to
embark on work to rule action until their demands are met. They also lamented
the death 49 members of staff as a result of ill health occasioned by
nonpayment of their salaries.
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| Dr. Adeola Kiadese, Provost, TASCE |
In his
reaction to the allegation leveled against him by the workers, the provost, in
a chat with Great Achiever magazine, denied that the college generated N400m
internally. He said the total internally generated revenue (IGR) of the
institution for two years was N230m, out of which N111m salary arrears was
paid.
Dr. Kiadese
disclosed that the college has 349 staff and 90 consortium staff on its payroll,
while the wage bill is N76m monthly. He put the students population at 1849
with an average of N38,000.00 being paid as school fees by each student.
The provost
therefore condemned the assertion of the workers that the college generated IGR
of N400m, stating that the workers were only out to malign him. He also denied
the allegation that he was giving N3m monthly to Secretary to State Government
(SSG), and sponsoring some members of the State House of Assembly on jamboree
to Dubai, saying that the allegation was highly irresponsible and meant to
embarrass senior members of the government.
Speaking on
his suitability for the position of the provost, Dr. Kiadese said he was
eminently qualified for the office, having attained the level of a senior
lecturer in a federal university, which is equivalent to chief lecturer in a
college of education.
While
recounting his cognate experience, the provost, who completed his Ph.D seven
years ago, said he had been in academics since 2002 as a lecturer in a
university; senior research officer in a research institute; senior lecturer in
federal college of education and federal university.
Giving his
account of stewardship since he assumed office as the provost in 2016, Dr.
Kiadese disclosed that, from the IGR, he conducted and secured accreditation
for 27 programmes of the college; moved the college to its permanent site;
elevated the college to a degree awarding institution through affiliation with
Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye; opened the college network of roads;
paid N111m salary arrears; secured linkage service with University of
Education, Ghana, for exchange of programmes among others. He also facilitated
the construction of school of science building and construction of 250 seater
auditorium.
In his
reaction to the crises in the college, the Chairman, New Coalition Staff Union
of the College (NewCoTAS), Comrade Adetowubo King, said Dr. Kiadese inherited
the ongoing crises in the college from the immediate past provost, Dr. Abiodun Ojo,
under whose tenure, the administration of Otunba Gbenga Daniel was unable to
pay workers’ salaries regularly.
He went
further to say that Dr. Kiadese, on assumption of office in 2016 approached
Governor Amosun, who released N35m which he used to pay 50% of salaries; and
when the money was increased, the percentage of salaries paid was also
increased, while the IGR of the college was used to complement the amount
released by the government in paying workers’ salaries.
Comrade King
said the provost has paid 100% of January and February salaries through IGR,
while effort is ongoing to pay March salaries as soon as subvention is received
from the government. He therefore described the “Kiadese must go” agitation as
uncalled for, and advised that the provost should be allowed to continue his
good works in order to allow students, especially the degree students to write
their first semester examination.
He said,
despite the spirited efforts of Dr. Kiadese to normalize the situation, there
are few disgruntled workers who are hell bent on frustrating the good works of
the provost in improving the welfare of workers and put the college on a high
pedestal.
Comrade King
emphasized that the academic staffs of the college are not part of the protest,
as they are going about their duties as expected. He urged the aggrieved
workers to sheath their sword and support Dr. Kiadese to find a lasting peace
in the college.
In his
admonition, the provost said, “The few COTAS members should give peace a chance
to enable the college management and other stakeholders to focus on the newly
started degree programmes, with a view to increasing students’ enrolment and
college IGR to complement the subvention from the government in the payment of
100% salary for workers.
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