17th July, 2014
Abiodun Onafuye/Abeokuta
Hundreds of Secondary School teachers in Ogun state today stormed the office of the Chairman of the State Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM), Ms. Olubukola Onabanjo to stage a peaceful protest against the government policy which they said stagnated their career for nine years.
The protesting teachers, who demanded to meet the State governor, Ibikunle Amosun, also held personnel of the TESCOM office hostage for hours and paralysed activities at the office.
The protesters under the aegis of the Academic Staff Union of Secondary School (ASUSS), Ogun state chapter, led by one of them, who preferred anonymity, accused the State government of reneging on the
agreements earlier reached with them only to evolve what they described as “obnoxious career progression and adjustment” policy.
The teachers also accused the State government of bias in the recently released letter of approval of career progression and adjustment, which they said mandated the teachers who entered service with
National Certificate of Education (NCE) results, but eventually upgraded their certificates to Degree level to sacrifice nine years out the years already put into the service of the State.
While accusing their union leadership of having received inducements from the State government officials, the protesting teachers lamented that the policy introduced by the State government has given opportunities for majority of their juniors in schools and service to become Principals at their respective schools, stressing that such development was demoralising and anti-labour.
Addressing the protesters who barricaded the TESCOM corridors in Oke-Mosan, the Permanent Secretary, Mrs Olabisi Akinnuga appealed to the protesters to exercise patience over their demands since the TESCOM
Chairman, Ms. Bukola Onabanjo was not available.
Akinnuga emphasised that she had only signed the letter informing the agitating teachers that they would only forfeit six years and not nine years as argued by them.
The teacher however, proceeded to the governor’s office within the secretariat complex where they were addressed by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Barr. Taiwo Adeoluwa.
Adeoluwa also pleaded with the protesting teachers to exercise patience, promising that the State government would be meeting their leadership on the matter next week.