The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Edo State, Friday said the state government is not owing any woroker of the defunct College of Education Ekiadolor, Benin City, that had been protesting on the streets of Benin for the past one week.
The workers have complained that they were owed 11 months salaries and allowances by the Edo State Government. But,the state Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Chris Nehikhare said the lecturers were only wiping up sentiments to cover for their act of insubordination in carrying out lawful directives.
Reacting,the chairman of the school’s College of Education Academic Staff Union, (COEASU) Fred Omonuwa denied the allegation, saying they are only demanding for their right and that there is no political colouration.
A statement from the party explained that the workers were asked to go and resume at Abudu with the closure of the institution ,but they rejected the offer even after earlier refusing to transfer their services to the state civil service.
He said “We consider these protests very serious especially as the allegations of non-payment of salary was adduced as the reason for the protest for a government that is not owing any sector salaries including pension arrears.
“You will recall that the last APC administration led by Mr. Adams Oshiomhole established two new state universities same day. Tayo Akpata University of Education and Edo university of Science and Technology, Uzaiure, now known and referred to as Edo University Iyamho.
“We wondered how a new University was built from scratch, got accreditation and started admitting students even as Tayo Akpata University of Education with existing infrastructure did not have even a toilet added to the existing structures ,talk less of admitting students in theAdams Oshiomhole administration.
“The newly “established” Tayo Akpata University of Education was eventually shut down, as the move to convert the old College of Education into a University of Education became impossible due to budget constraints, as the state is already blessed with two state-owned universities and seven private universities, it would be imprudent to establish another state-owned university.
We gather that on Thursday, the Special Adviser to Governor Godwin Obaseki on Legislative Matters, Hon Kabiru Adjoto had met with the workers where he was said to have told them that the governor would meet with them and meet part of their demands between yesterday and tomorrow.
Omonuwa told this paper that “Hon Kabiru Adjoto met us where he assured us that the government will meet with us today and that is what we are waiting for because it is an embarrassment for anybody to say we are being sponsored.
“There is nothing like politics here, nobody posted us to Igueben or Abudu as being alleged either by letter or directive.
“They are bringing politics into it, linking us with APC but we are not perturbed by that, we are fighting a just course and we are asking for our legitimate money. If they posted us and we did not go, what about the pensioners, were they also posted to Abudu or Igueben? Their payment is also part of the subvention so what they are saying are just lies. But we are resolute in our demands” he concluded
