15th June, 2016
Students of Tai Solarin College of Education, TASCE, Omu Ijebu, on Wednesday gave Governor Ibikunle Amosun 48 hours ultimatum to attend to the problems facing the school or face total paralysis of activities at the State Secretariat, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
The protesting students issued the ultimatum to the governor while addressing journalists at the NUJ Secretariat, Iwe Iroyin, Oke Ilewo, Abeokuta.
The protest was led by both the State Chairman of the Joint Campus Committee, JCC/NANS, Ogun State chapter, Comrade Dotun Opaleye, a.k.a. Zamora and the Students Union Government President of the school,Comrade Ibrahim Dairo, a.k.a. IB Pencil.
The students carried placards with various inscriptions. Some of them read: “Don’t let our parents Labour in vain”, “Amosun save TASCE from extinction”, “Pls, students are suffering in TASCE”, “Mr governor, come to our aid in TASCE”, among others.
Addressing newsmen, Zamora appealed to Governor Amosun to urgently attend to the requests of the TASCE students.
Zamora faulted government claim that it has not pay the outstanding salary of staff of TASCE due to overpopulation of staff and non teaching staff.
Governor Amosun had during the Democracy Day celebration in Abeokuta disclosed that the number of both staff and non teaching staff in TASCE was about 3,000 to 600 students.
Amosun called for investigation into the unwieldy staff list before he could address their unpaid salary.
But Zamora disputed the governor’s claim and accused him of being economical with the truth.
Zamora revealed that from their findings, the staff strength, both the teaching and non teaching staff, is around 385, contrary to the picture painted by the governor.
”What did the government want us to become in the nearest future. We, the students of Tai Solarin College of Education, have had a deep thought about these issues.
”Several letters have been written to the State Commissioner of Education, but nothing came out of it.
“The last straw that broke the camel’s back was on May 29, 2016 (Democracy Day), when His Excellency said the number of Staff (teaching and non teaching) are more than the student population; 3,000 workers to 600 students.
“The information about the school population has been corrected in the social media. The staff strength is about 385, less than 400 (both teaching and non teaching staff)”, he said.
In his own statement, the College SUG President, Ibrahim Dairo, called on the state government to restore qualitative education in the college, among others.
He also appealed for the prompt payment of the lecturers’ 13 months unpaid salary.
“Education is our right and not a privilege but the reverse is the case in Tai Solarin College of Education because we are not enjoying the dividends of education.
“We appeal to the state government to come to our aid as the matter is getting out of hand. We await quick solutions to our plight”, Dairo said.