….Say we spend hours commuting between Ijanikin, Epe
By Alade Adisa
Members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Lagos State University of Education (LASUED), Ijanikin, Lagos have called on the management of the university to pay them relocation allowance and other entitlements arising from the merger of two colleges to form the university.
The erstwhile Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, Ijanikin and the Michael Otedola College of Primary Education, Epe were merged to form the university.
The Branch Chairman of ASUU, Dr Akolade Lapite, in a press statement, noted that almost three years after the university came into existence, the relocation allowance of members of staff was yet to be paid.
However, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Bidemi Bilkis Lafiaji-Okunneye, said the state government and the management of the university would never take the issue of welfare of workers with levity.
Lapite said, “Since the university came into existence, no member of staff has been paid relocation allowance. This is despite the fact that some staff were moved from Epe to Ijanikin and vice versa. It means that some lecturers who were transferred from Ijanikin to Epe to hold classes have been going there from here whenever they have classes to take.
“The bus provided by management to shuttle between the two campuses does not go there daily. To get accommodation in Epe or Ijanikin for the affected staff has not been easy. How much is their salary? Do you know that to commute from Ijanikin to Epe to take a class, a lecturer spends an average of nine hours to go and come. If you leave Ijanikin by 5am for a class in Epe, you cannot get there before 9am and while coming back, you spend almost the same time, just to take a class for one hour.
“Imagine the stress, the lecturer is really tired before getting to his destination and coming back tired too. If they are paid their relocation allowance as promised when the university was created, nothing of such would be happening.”
He also called on the state government to pay them the harmonization of 25 to 35 percent in line with national wage structure.
On salary, he said,”The state government should pay our salary in line with the judgment of the Industrial Court arbitration of 2002 which emphasized that Lagos State government should not pay less than any other state in Nigeria. This ruling implies that the university salary structure for Lagos State should be implemented by following this rule with consideration of the Lagos Factor.”
The ASUU boss also frowned at the 72 months outstanding incremental rate and arrears, saying denying them the hazard and transport allowances that other tertiary institutions in Lagos have enjoyed since 2013 was unfair to them.
He frowned at the non-remittance of pension deductions for some months in the defunct colleges.
Lapite also said the union was not happy with the amputation of honoraria and salary bonus by the authorities, noting that they were fundamental parts of compensation packages for staff and incentives to them.
Giving further explanation on the issues raised, Lafiaji-Okuneye said, “Welfare is all-encompassing. That’s true. If you are promoted at the appropriate time, that’s welfare. If you are sponsored for conference, it’s welfare. If you are sponsored for seminar or workshop, it’s welfare. If your salaries are paid on time, it’s welfare. I met that university paying salaries 35 days, you know, another month.
“But I resumed in 2020. And you can check the records. You can ask people. I resumed 2020. And from that 2020 till date, salaries have been paid every 24th of every month. So, what is welfare? I don’t have to be sharing money. Should I share money? They want me to share money, but I won’t. And I won’t ask for costs. Everybody must enjoy.”
