Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State

There was palpable tension in Kogi State Tuesday as members of the teaching and non teaching staffs of tertiary institutions in Kogi State filed to the streets across the state over failure of state government to pay their eight months salary.

The coordinated protests under the directive of the Joint Action Committee of tertiary institutions JACTIIK, in the state was observed by workers of Kogi State polytechnic, Lokoja; State University, Anyingba and College of Education Technical, Kabba.

The protests over eight months of unpaid salary and laid off of genuine workers paralysis all academic activities as well as affected the resumption of new year admitted students.

Speaking at the Kogi polytechnic Lokoja, the state Chairman of Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic, Boluromi Sunday dispelled rumour that they were been sponsored by opposition parties as was tainted in some government quarters.

According to him, “We have lost faith in the over one year screening programe of the state government. 65 percent of our genuine workers have not been paid for eight months. Those who were employed in 2015 as requirement for completion of accreditation which we received approval from the state council were removed.

“Some lecturers who were on TETFUND scholarship outside the country have been denied their salary. Some of them cannot feed their family, their children have been sent out of school and some are stranded in the country because they can’t get money for their return ticket.”

Sunday who said the state government has been lying to the lecturers and non teaching staff stressed that 135 of their members have not received salary for eight months; a development that resulted to the death of the Provost of the state college of Nursing, Obangede.

They challenged the state government to publish the outcome of their one year screening activities as well as stop “media payment” of their staff and make the payment real.

“Failure to pay our staff we shall embark on strike action by Monday; and this we not only stop academic activities but will make us lose accreditation of some of our courses”.