The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the three trade unions in the Oyo State College of Education, Lanlate, has appealed to Governor Seyi Makinde to save the institution from total collapse.
They also urged the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Adebo Ogundoyin, to intervene and save the institution from its infrastructure challenges and imminent collapse.
In a letter signed by leaders of the unions, S. K. Kolawole, Mrs. O. O. Adeola and O. S. Tijani, the JAC lamented that since the college became an autonomous institution in 2016, it has been battling with several challenges, which necessitated the call for action.
The leaders stated that the challenges included non-release of takeoff grant, infrastructure deficit, damaged bridge, abandoned projects, poor staff welfare, non-payment of arrears of consequential adjustment on minimum wage and lack of accreditation.
In the letter, dated February 2, 2022 and titled: “Save Oyo State College of Education, Lanlate, Its Staff and Students, they disclosed that the letter to intimate the legislature of the state of decay at the college and the plight of its staff members.
“The college became an autonomous institution in 2016. Hitherto, it was a campus of the Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, Oyo.
Since its establishment, the college has been battling with series of challenges, which have necessitated the letter.
“The state government awarded the contract for the construction of the School of Education Complex to a contractor some years ago, but the contractor abandoned the project.”
“Recently, the state government mobilised the contractor again with about N20 million to complete the project. Unfortunately again, the contractor refused to return to site,” the letter reads.
They also lamented non-implementation of their annual salary increments for 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021, which has October 1 as its effective date.
“It may interest the house to know that it is only our College that is yet to pay the arrears as agreed and signed by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the trade unions in all tertiary institutions and government representatives.
Insisting that since the college became autonomous in 2016, courses have not been accredited, they appealed to Makinde to rescue the school from total collapse.
