Edo College: Workers Lament Over 11 Months Unpaid Salaries
The workers and pensioners of the College of Education, Ekiadolor in Edo State have lamented the none payment of their salaries and allowances for the past 11 months.
In a protest on Monday, July 20, 2020, the workers all dressed in black outfits, holding series of placards that had anti-government slogans written on them, stormed the streets of Benin leading to the government house.
It was rather unfortunate that no government official came out to address the poor workers.
The protesters have, however, vowed to continuously protest on a daily basis until they were attended to.
According to them, they are tired of being turned to beggars to keep up with their family responsibilities.
The Leader of the protest, Chairman of the College of Education Academic Union, COEASU, Comrade Fred Omonuwa, said they won’t be blackmailed on the altar of politics for requesting what belonged to them.
In his words, “For sometimes now, we have been having issues of 11 Months unpaid salaries. We’ve tried to meet with the governor when the head of service came to speak with us to shield our sword. We thought that within two weeks our salaries will be paid but they never listened to us.
“Congress met and decided to come out in peaceful protest to demand our hard earn salaries including pension and gratuities. Spent couple of hours at government house nobody came out to address us. We believe that a labourer is worthy of his pay and we are going to continue on this path until our demands are met.”
Omonuwa also expressed his displeasure with the state government for attributing their protest to politics.
“when they came to our school to placate us not to protest we were not being sponsored. It is just blackmail,” he said.
The state government, on the other hand, through the Commissioner for Education, Hon Jimoh Ijegbai, said
“Since the inception of this government, we have been consistent in giving the school the monthly subvention up till May 2020. In the last two weeks, government has released two months subvention to the workers to show good faith in spite of the fact that they were not working.
“We are surprised now about the protests, which the Edo State Government believes is politically motivated.
“They are sponsored by politicians hellbent on derailing development in the state. This government will not be blackmailed by any group whatsoever,” he added.
