Date: 2017-10-30

Kwara State Government has appealed to striking workers of the State College of Education, Ilorin to call-off their on-going industrial action and resume to work in the interest of the students of the Institution.

The Government assured that the last quarter allocation that the government owes the institution would soon be paid as government had before now, being augmenting the salaries of all the tertiary institutions before the economic downturn.

The State Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Science and Technology, Ilorin, Doctor Aminat Ahmad made the plea in an interview with newsmen.

She expressed the concern of the State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatai Ahmed over the plights of the workers and the students of the institution.

The Commissioner said another meeting has been fixed for eleven o'clock in the morning on Monday ( 30/10/2017) for another round-table meeting to find a way forward.

According to her, strike would not solve the present problem but through amicable resolution.

Doctor Aminat however, decried the situation, during which some past councils of various tertiary institutions in the state have employed staff above their capacity.

She noted that the move is now making the situation difficult for the managements to meet their monthly allocation and pay salaries as at when due.

Doctor Aminat explained that the nominal role of members of teaching and non-teaching staff as well as casual staff at the various tertiary institutions in the state are now being compiled by the Ministry to ascertain the exact number of workers to determine the way forward .

The Commissioner observed that most of the institutions in the state have workers that have nothing doing and still blamed government for none payment of salaries at the end of this month, stressing that everything is being done to guide against such practices as the era of wastage is over.

Doctor Aminat however, urged the various tertiary institutions in the state to look inwards to generate revenue internally.

The Commissioner stated that at the College of Education, Ilorin, the number of teaching staff now stood at one hundred and fifty-seven while the numbers of non-teaching staff are as high as seven hundred.

Doctor Aminat admitted that government currently owes the institution four month salaries and had been on strike for almost one week.

She therefore, expressed dismay that College of Education, Lafiagi and College of Arabic and Islamic Legal Studies are also being owed the same four months' salaries and were still moving on with their academic work, wondering why the College of Education, Ilorin is acting indifferently . END