Date: 2017-11-08

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

The striking workers in the college are being owed four months salaries and have been on strike for one month now. The Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Science and Technology, Dr. Aminat Ahmad, who briefed journalists on the development, promised 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 tertiary institutions before the economic downturn.

She expressed the concern of Governor Abdulfatai Ahmed over the plight of the workers and the students of the institution, adding that another meeting has been fixed for this week with the leadership of the unions in the college so as to bring a lasting solution to the ugly development.

"Strike will not solve the present problem but through amicable resolution."

Ahmad decried the situation where some past councils of various tertiary institutions in the state have employed staff above their capacity, saying that the move is now making the situation difficult for the managements to meet their monthly allocation and pay salaries as and when due.

The commissioner 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.

She observed that most of the institutions in the state have workers that have nothing doing and still blamed government for non-payment of salaries at the end of this month, stressing that everything is being done to guard against such practices as the era of wastage is over.

She urged the various tertiary institutions in the state to look inwards to generate revenue internally.