Lecturer ‘Frustrated’ By Non-payment Of Salary Slumps, Dies In Ogun

A lecturer with the Tai Solarin College of Education (TASCE), Omu-Ijebu, Ogun state, reportedly slumped and died at Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Idi-Aba, Abeokuta, the State capital after being frustrated by prolonged non-payment his salaries.

The deceased simply identified as Oladeji Adebolujo of Fine Arts Department, School of Vocational and Technical Education, is one among several lecturers of the institution who are said to have died of frustration over long period of non-payment of their salaries.

It was gathered that several lecturers of the institution are being owed backlog salaries, arrears and other entitlements.

The deceased, it was learnt last received his salary in May 2020 with half payment, while about 65 months staff salaries and arrears still owned by the state government.

Reports say several lecturers in TASCE had died untimely in recent months.

Giving a graphic details of the number of lecturers who have died in recent months in the institution, a source said, Mr. Tajudeen Tunji Oropo died at Ososa River, last September, 2019, Mr. Dele Asipa, Mr. O.A. Abogunri, Mr. Semion Mabadeje of Agric Department, died of diabetic complications due to non-payment of their salaries, and Mrs. Benson died in June, 2020, due to non-availability of fund to treat herself.

“All these cases/incidences were blamed on exhaustion and lack of salary payment to take good care of themselves, as well as many of its Non-Academic staff of the College, also slumped while at work”, the source said.

It would be recalled that the unending demands for their legitimate rights reached the climax mid 2018, when Senator Ibikunle Amosun’s administration stopped payment of their salaries and subvention for good sixteen (16) months.

One staff of the institution, anonymously said that Dapo Abiodun’s administration has done nothing to ameliorate the plights of the lecturers, accusing him of reneging on his electioneering Campaigns promises to resolve the problems of the College.

“In fact, Dapo Abiodun promised to put an end to TASCE problems and restore her lost glory during electioneering period, but to our surprise, nothing tangible has been done as his administration continues the payment of half salary to TASCE staff since 2019 till May 2020, when we received the last mutilated salary (June and July 2020 still unpaid), the staff said.

“It may interest the general public to know that Abiodun’s administration has not paid amount out of over 60 (sixty) months salary arrears owned TASCE Staff by his predecessors, noting that Abiodun now owing them another 5 (five) month salaries in his 14-month old administration.

“We are bold enough to say that except the Visitation Panel and Governing Council he set up to look into our problems, up till today, the white paper of the Visitation Panel is yet to see the light of the day or implemented”, he said

He alleged that the Governing Council of the institution were only preoccupied with the agenda of giving the Provost of the College, Dr. Lukman Adeola Kiadese a second term of another four years in office rather than solving their problems and financial welfare of staffers of the institution.

When contacted, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the institution, Mrs. Fisayo Olajide about the incident, she said that the institution management was not aware of death of any staff of the College, saying that she will get back as soon as the institution authority is briefed.

As at filling this report, she refused to respond to the incident, rather call back nor respond to text messages on the allegations leveled against the institution about non-payment of staff salaries.