- As Staff Owed 4-Month Salary
Some contract staff at the Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, are reportedly engaging in unprofessional acts due to the non-payment of their four-month salaries by the institution’s management.
Since their formal engagement in July 2025 by the institution, their accumulated salaries have yet to be paid. However, the school has promised that the money will be paid by the end of October 2025.
The institution’s Director of Media, Publicity, and Protocol, Mr. Bayo Fadeji, confirmed this in a telephone interview with OSUN DEFENDER, on Tuesday.
Fadeji explained that the institution is in the process of streamlining the activities of the contract staff, adding that many of them have commitments elsewhere but still getting salaries from the school.
“We had a meeting with the contract staff last Thursday where we addressed them. I can assure you that they will be paid this month. What the school is doing currently is to streamline their activities because we found out that some of them have commitments elsewhere but are still getting salaries from us. Some of them have about two to three jobs they are doing,” he posited.
Recall that the Polytechnic management early this year disengaged all contract staff in its employment.
A copy of an internal memorandum dated January 15, 2025, signed by Foyinsade Apara on behalf of the Registrar, a copy of which was obtained by OSUN DEFENDER, subsequently invited fresh applications from interested persons for job opportunities in the polytechnic.
The management said it noticed with dismay that a large percentage of Part-Time/Contract staff have not been coming to the office and had been collecting unmerited salaries.
“In view of this, the management has decided to disengage all Part-time/Contract Staff members with effect from Friday, 31st January 2025,” the memorandum read.
Whoever among the disengaged staff still interested in working with the institution, was, however, directed to reapply through their Heads of Departments and Units.
It further read, “However, I have been directed to inform all disengaged Part-Time/Contract staff members who are willing to continue with the Institution to re-apply through their Head of Department (HOD)/ Head of Unit, (HOU), who in addition would recommend such member of Staff if found deserving.
“Application for Re-Engagement with a recommendation letter from HOD/HOU are to be directed to the Registrar and submitted to the Personnel Affairs Office on or before the close of work on Wednesday, 29th January 2025.”
But OSUN DEFENDER learnt that some departments in the school kicked against the announcement, citing lack of enough regular staff in the institution. The department was said to have taken responsibility for the contract staff while the school left them to their fate in January before they were formally engaged in July.
Findings by the medium revealed that some of the contract staff have been engaging in all kinds of illicit activities such selling of handouts which can be interpreted as unprofessional conduct to survive which the school is preaching against.
A cross section of them who spoke with OSUN DEFENDER under the condition of anonymity said the situation is excruciating and becoming unbearable while calling on the appropriate authorities to see to their plights.
“We have been coming to work since January 2025 without pay. Though, we were disengaged early this year. But our various departments did not allow us to go. The fact is that there are no substantive lecturers in most of the departments. It is the contract staff that have been assisting. There are some departments that have just one to two permanent staff. Also, the school that told us to go home in January has been coming to our various departments to take attendance.
“We hope they will pay the money by October ending as promised. Majority of the contract staff have been doing a lot of illicit jobs to survive and feed their families. This calls for urgent intervention. The school has been preaching against all forms of extortion, the only way to have a sane campus is to pay remuneration of workers on time.” they said.
Yusuf Oketola is a trained journalist with over five years of experience in the media industry. He has worked for both print and online medium. He is a thorough-bred professional with an eye of hindsight on issues bothering on social justice, purposeful leadership, and a society where the leaders charge and work for the prosperity of the people.
