6th September, 2012
The crisis rocking Tai Solarin College of Education, TASCE, Omu-Ijebu in Odogbolu Local Government Area of Ogun State, southwest Niigeria today as angry union members deflated the tyres of vehicles belonging to the college provost and registrar.
The trade unions in the institution declared a dispute yesterday when they chased away all the management staff of the institution and locked its gates.
They are protesting the non-payment of their members’ six months salary arrears and they have vowed not to relent until government listened to them.
When the Provost of the college, Dr. Abiodun Ojo and Registrar, Mr. Tunji Kanimodo arrived the school premises this morning to await the state Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Segun Odubela who was on a truce mission, the two principal officers were mobbed.
The tyres of the provost’s black Toyota Corolla car with registration number OG 23 A 46 and that of the registrar’s cream Toyota Corolla car marked OG 04 A 46 were deflated.
Initially, the union members threatened to chase away the two principal officers of the college but after pleas, they were allowed to sit at the council chamber.
A member of the union who spoke on the condition of anonymity told P.M.NEWS that the timely intervention of elderly people in the community, the two officials would have been lynched by the angry unionists.
At press time, TASCE provost, Dr. Ojo, the registrar, Mr. Kanimodo and his deputy, Mr. Onanuga, awaiting the arrival of the state Commissioner for Education to intervene in the crisis.
—Abiodun Onafuye/Abeokuta