New Oyo teachers lament unpaid 3 mth salaries – ‘That’s how some lost their appts in 2021’
Khalid ABRAHAM
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The disquiet among some newly recruited teachers in the Oyo State Post Primary Schools Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM) has snowballed into public protest with the claim that they had not received a dime as salaries though they assumed duties three months ago.
In a statement made available to newsmen Friday in Ibadan, signed by the leader of the group, a new appointee as well but who shielded his identity for obvious reasons, the group expressed grievance that their salaries were being withheld for no just cause. A situation he lamented had pushed them into financial difficulties and embarrassment.
““For the past three months, we have diligently fulfilled our duties, giving our time, energy, and commitment to our work. Yet, despite our hard work, we have not received the salaries we rightfully earned.
“While some of our colleagues were paid, most of us have been living on borrowing from friends and foes. Yet TESCOM went to the media and broadcasted the fake news – that we’ve ALL been paid!
“Our families thought we are lying; Our friends called us liars that we’ve been paid; Our landlords can no longer understand… Muslims among us have nothing to break their fast….”
He alleged that their salaries are put in fixed deposit to let profits accrue for personal aggrandizing while appealing to the state governor and other stakeholders to look into the matter.
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“Some said our salaries have been fixed at the banks by TESCOM top officials to generate profit for them as they’re looking fat and fresh yet we look malnourished! But we don’t know how true this is, nobody is giving us any relieving information from TESCOM.
“The excuse given that BVN and NIN are causing the issues are claims that hold no truth. This is an unjust withholding of salaries that we depend on for our survival. We have been patient, but enough is enough.
“We call on the relevant authorities, Engineer Seyi Makinde, TESCOM permanent secretary, TESCOM chairman, and concerned citizens to take note of this injustice. Salaries are not favors—they are rights! We demand immediate payment of our three months’ overdue salaries.”
ogbomosoinsightonline.com recalls a similar scenario unfolded in 2021 when Governor Seyi Makinde equally employed teachers but some who passed all the tests and interviews were denied appointments and all their efforts to seek redress were unsuccessful, some of them remain unemployed till this day.
Meanwhile, while commenting on the issue a retired account officer in a secondary school, who spoke under the condition of anonymity disclosed that the idea of not including the names of new appointees into the payment voucher gives room for such manipulation and possible nefarious activity.
“When I was in service,” he noted, “the moment a new teacher assumes duty in school, his or her name is included in the payment voucher backed by the first letter of appointment and assumption of duty certificate.
“But today I learned that under various excuses the new appointees’ names are not immediately included in the voucher and this lacuna is being exploited by unscrupulous officials to swap names. How can someone be employed and working and his name is not included in the voucher for three months and you would say you are handling his payment directly? It is to perpetrate such shady deals. Government should look into this.”
Investigations at the TESCOM headquarters in Ibadan revealed that the issue is being handled with all seriousness with the affected staff urged to be patient with the problem attributed to “failed bank transaction.”
