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Gabriel Dike
The resumption of academic activities in four tertiary institutions in Lagos State were, yesterday, disrupted, by an industrial action ordered by academic and non-teaching staff to protest non-payment of the new minimum wage.
Workers of Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo; Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH), Ikorodu; Michael Otedola College of Primary Education (MOCPED), Noforija, Epe and Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (AOCOED), Ijanikin, yesterday, embarked on a strike in line with directives from the Joint Action Committee (JAC) after a meeting with officials of the state government on Wednesday, September 9 to resolve the wage issue ended in a deadlock.
Yesterday morning, staff unions of LASU and Michael Otedola College of Primary Education locked the main entrances to their institutions disrupting academic and administrative activities.
Chairman of Senior Staff Association of Nigerian (SSANU), LASU branch, Mr. Saheed Oseni confirmed that members were on strike because of the inability of government to pay the new minimum wage since 2019.
At LASU, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Olarenwaju Fagbohun, his management team, final year students and bank workers were prevented from accessing the campus.
Oseni said the gates of LASU would remain shut and the university management, students and bank denied access to their offices as he vowed the industrial action would continue until the state government met their demand.
At MOCPED, the provost, Olajide Onibon and his management were locked outside and forced to hold meeting with the union leaders in front of the gate.
At LASPOTECH, however, the workers complied with the directive to go on strike, but did not lock the school gate even as it was learnt that they were invited for a meeting with the school management.
Chairman of College of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU), MOCPED branch, Mr. Jamal Apena said the three staff unions were on strike based on the directive of JAC.
However,Special Adviser on Education to Lagos Governor, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, decried the industrial action saying the government had funded the institutions adequately to cater for the needs of the staff.
