Current members of staff and pensioners of the Edo State College of Education, Ekiadolor in Edo State have protested the non- payment of their salaries and allowances for the past 11 months.
The workers, dressed in all black attires and carrying several placards displaying anti-government slogans, protested through the streets of Benin, the state capital.
The procession went to the State Government House, where there was no government official to address them. However, the protesting workers vowed to continue to protests on a daily basis until they were attended to, noting that they are tired of being turned to beggars to meet their family responsibilities.
Comrade Fred Omonuwa, the Chairman of the College of Education Academic Union (COEASU) and the leader of the protest, said the workers won’t be blackmailed on the altar of politics for demanding for their rights.
“For sometimes now we have been having issues of 11 Months unpaid salaries. We have 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. We 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 disappointment with the state government for linking their protest to politics adding that “when they came to our school to placate us not to protest we were not being sponsored. It is just blackmail.”
But Jimoh Ijegbai, the State Commissioner for Education, in response to the protest said the government has been consistent in giving the institution its monthly subventions.
“Since the inception of this government, we have been consistent in giving the school the monthly subventions up till May 2020. In the last two weeks, government has released two months subventions 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 hell-bent on derailing development in the state. This government will not be blackmailed by any group whatsoever,” he added.
