We, the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Senior Staff Association Of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Non Academic Staff Union (NASU), National Association Of Academic Technologists and Senior Staff Association Of Nigerian Polytechnics (SSANIP) of the Ondo State Owned Tertiary institutions (ODSTIs) received the news of the proposed distribution of palliative measures across various strata in Ondo State with mixed feelings.
While we commend the government for being proactive in ameliorating/mitigating the harsh effect of subsidy removal and the attendant astronomical increase in transportation and cost of living generally, we observe that Ondo State Owned Tertiary Institutions were not mentioned while the palliative measures were being presented to the public.
You may wish to note without mincing words that the staff of Ondo State Tertiary Institutions are worst hit by the removal of petrol subsidy as our salaries are not paid regularly, hence, we are all living from hand to mouth.
We are sure it will sadden your heart to know that even the 2019 Minimum Wage that has been implemented to all the state workers since January 2020 has not been paid in any tertiary institution in Ondo State.
We would not bother you with the debt profile of our institutions in terms of other allowances and third party deductions such as Cooperatives and check off dues.
As at today, the Managements of our various institutions are grappling with augmentation of payment of salaries with internally generated revenue which are not even enough to meet up with necessary services the money are needed for. Notably, these monies are attached to services but were yet spent to augment salaries to keep the workers alive.
We therefore plead and pray for:
- A hundred percent increase in the subvention across the tertiary institutions in Ondo State.
- Release of special bail-out fund to clear our outstanding allowances and deductions.
3.Release of budgeted capital grants.
- Extension of metropolitan buses to tertiary institutions across the state.
We hope that the Acting Governor, the State Executive Council and particularly the Chairman of Ondo State Palliatives Committee and Commissioner of Finance to use their good offices to intervene and see to our concern and plight. We should not be left out of this palliative measures this time around, please.
We hope to receive a favorable response in this regard, please.
Thank you.
E-signed
Comrade Tayo Ogungbeni
Chairman, JAC-ODSTIs and SSANU-AAUA.
