2023: Why Dapo Abiodun Should Recall TASCE Staff Union Leaders, Drop Charges Against Them, By Balogun Ibrahim

Is TASCE cursed? What are the offences of staff union leaders? Whom did they offend? Why their salaries not paid? Why has Ogun State Government refused to promote them for years? These are the questions demanding answers from “The Concerned Staff of Tai Solarin College of Education” (TASCE), Omu-Ijebu, Ogun State, Nigeria.

TASCE has been in the news in the last five years for the some obvious reasons, it reach the climax mid-2017 when Senator Ibikunle Amosun administration stopped payment of their salary and subvention for good 16 months.

Fortunately and unfortunately, the Dapo Abiodun administration assumed the mantle of leadership of the state house with promises to put an end to TASCE problems and restored her lost glory but to their surprise nothing tangible has been done as the administration continues the payment of half salary to TASCE STAFF till date, it may interest you to know that Dapo Abiodun administration has not paid any amount from several months salaries owed TASCE STAFF by his predecessors rather, he has also owed them 16 months salaries.

Funny enough, when Dapo Abiodun was elected as the governor, he met with the union leaders, led by Dr. Daniel Aborisade after working for him during the electioneering campaign, he then promised to solve the mirages of TASCE problems once and for all. He even talked much about educational sector to be his priority, as his parents were once teachers before both retired. Indeed, it is obvious to say that they are yet to see any practical and tangible move to ameliorate their problems, rather, till today the white paper of the Visitation Panel is yet to see the light of the day and the Governing Council rather than solving our financial and welfare problems are preoccupied with an agenda to enrich themselves.

In fact, the Governing Council Chairman is a lawyer who should know better when it comes to the provisions and dictates of TASCE enabling law. The Council Chairman is running TASCE as a banana republic, as we speak just one month into the expiration of the Prince Adeyemi Adesegun Adefulu-led Council, representatives of the College staff as enshrined in the enabling law are not allowed to join the Council in their meetings and decisions that affect staff mostly are taken without the institution’s representatives.

These are the levels of pettiness, rot and mess that TASCE has descended into under the Dr. Lukman Adeola Kiadese’s management and the Adefulu’s illegal Governing Council and they seemed to be at peace with themselves. It would also be recalled that the non/half-hearted implementation of Prof. Kamaldeen Balogun Visitation Panel reports, had led to the continued agitations by workers leading to the arrest of the leaders of the protests and their subsequent arraignment in court on the order of the state governor.

The case against the workers is still in court in the last three years, and the College Management has suspended the leaders of staff union from work since May 2020 without any payments when the Covid-19 pandemic was at its peak for no justifiable reasons, at least, it was stated in the State’s Public Service Rules (PSR) that whosoever that is under any investigation or having allegation levelled against him should be placed on half salary pending his/her case is sorted or resolved, I don’t really understand where they do get their rules and regulations for not paying those union leaders their half salaries till date, despite the fact the case still in pending the court of law.

Now, the concerned staff of TASCE are calling on the Ogun State Governor Prince Dapo Abiodun to come out in clear terms with his administration’s blue print for TASCE and fulfil his electoral promises by paying 100% salary of TASCE workers and payment of their 85 months’ salary arrears, they are also calling on the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to take proactive support for TASCE workers’ demands and also to press home the demands of the entire Ogun State workers for payment of the new minimum wage, payment of pension and gratuity, payment of cooperative deductions, leave bonuses, promotions and better working conditions.

The concerned staff of TASCE are also demanding that Dapo Abiodun administration should revisit his electoral promises by commencing the payment of 100% salary of TASCE staff, drop all trump up charges against its union leaders, withdraw their letters of suspension, recall them to their duty posts and stop all forms of vindictive acts; such as witch-hunting, arrest, intimidations, harassment, assaults, and victimizations of TASCE staff union leaders and recall them to work unconditionally.

Also, he should recall the seven TASCE staff whose appointments were terminated in June 2020, on the ground that they were working in TASCE as an NCE holders, remittance of pension fund deductions and cooperatives, and setting modalities in place on how other burning issues could be resolved without further delay, and the implementation of TASCE staff promotion exercises from 2015 till date without delay.

Ibrahim, is a public affairs analyst and commentator, wrote in from Broad Street, Lagos Island, Lagos state, Nigeria

Can be reached via: balogunibrahim1777@gmail.com or 08060799328