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From Lateef Dada, Osogbo
The outgoing Rector of Osun State College of Technology, Esa-Oke, Dr. Samson Adegoke, has lamented suffering of the contract staff and appealed to Governor Ademola Adeleke to convert them to permanent staff.
He lamented that some of the contract staff have suffered for many years, having spent more than sixteen years as teaching and non-teaching staff.
In his valedictory speech during the celebration of his retirement by the staff of the institution, Adegoke also called for urgent solution to poor funding and staffing in the state tertiary institution.
He said the greatest challenge in his eight years as Rector and 30 years as staff have been paucity of fund and staffing.
He said, “The most critical challenge we faced is the paucity of fund. It is so serious that we can hardly carry out infrastructural development without Tertiary Education Trust fund (TETFund). Equally, for the procurement of modern technological equipment for our laboratories, workshops and studios, we have to rely almost entirely on TETFund Zonal interventions.
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“Staffing is another major problem. Since 2012, when staff retired enmass to avoid contributory pension scheme, staff have been retiring normally without replacement. Thus today, the contract staff, more popularly known as “IGR Staff” far outnumbered the permanent staff.
“Another critical angle to this problem is that academic staffing requirement is not just about the number, rather about the right mix. To continue to meet the accreditation requirements, I want to appeal to the Governing Council and the State Government to help the College to convert our IGR staff to permanent staff, particularly considering their work experience. Majority of the contract staff have spent more than sixteen (16) years either as teaching or non-teaching staff of the College. This is very urgent!
The Chairman Governing Council, Prince Diran Odeyemi, said that the tenure of Adegoke has been marked by dedication, vision, commitment, creativity which has led to great transformation dotted with unwavering commitment to excellence and unprecedented growth.
Commending Adegoke for addition of new faculties and new departments, Odeyemi said, “Through his sagacity, despite paucity of fund, he motivated and work with members of the management and staff to achieve all these without leaving a debt. Deploying his acumen and benevolence nature, he was able to prioritise staff welfare by clearing seven-months’ salary arrears of College Contract Staff and thirteen months of half Peculiar Allowance of Permanent Staff.”
The Commissioner for Education, Hon. Dipo Eluwole, noted that the college has recorded notable strides in infrastructure development, academic standards, and institutional partnerships during the tenure of Adegoke.
