Students Protests Paralyse Activities in Osogbo
PROTESTING students of tertiary institutions in Osun, yesterday crippled economic and other activities in Osogbo, over continued closure of their schools due to the ongoing strike by the academic and non-academic staff of their institutions.
Workers of the four tertiary institutions owned by the state government had two weeks ago embarked on strike to force the state government to pay a consolidated salary structure to them.
The students in their hundreds stormed the state capital at about 8.00am with Lorries and barricaded the major roads in the metropolis.
The protest caused serious gridlock in Osogbo and its environs.
The students numbering about 2,000 from the State Polytechnic, Iree, state College of Technology, Esa-Oke and the state Colleges of Education in Ilesa and Ila-Orangun appealed to the government to look into the demand of workers with a view to ending the strike.
Reacting to the protest, the state government described the students as “sponsored agents hiding under the guise of minimum wage agitation.”
A statement by Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, from the office of the Director, Bureau of Communications and Strategy, said “the implementation of the new minimum wage will cost the government additional N1.3 billion monthly in addition to the payment of pensions and gratuities put at over N1.7 billion monthly.
“Government will however not fail in its responsibilities to ensure that the generality of the people enjoy infrastructure and other social services. Given the paucity of funds, not every demand of Labour can be met at the same time.”
Related posts:
- LASU, LASPOTECH Workers Go On Strike
- Labour To Go Ahead with Planned Strike Despite Meeting with President Jonathan
- Labour Suspends Warning Strike
- JAMB Suspends Admission Into South-East State Owned Universities for 2011/2012 Session
- Oyo Workers Suspend Leaders Over Minimum Wage