Staff of Tertiary Institutions in Kwara State have given an ultimatum to the state government to embark on an industrial strike by the 20th of this month if their five months salary arrears are not paid.
The leadership, Union of Tertiary Institutions after a deadlocked meeting with the State Head of Service said two of their members lost their children due to inability to pay hospital bills and the government promised to settle the arrears soon.
The institutions are State Polytechnic, three Colleges of Education and College of Arabic and Islamic studies.
At an emergency meeting held with the State Head of Service behind closed door, the leadership of the union described the meeting as deadlocked as the government official only asked them to be patient, a situation which they claimed did not go down well with them having written several letters to different organisations on their plight before now, without success.
The vice chairman of the union lamented that two members of the union lost their children due to inability to pay the hospital bills adding that the members will embark on total strike at the end of the 21 day notice which will expire by the 20th of this month.
Responding to the ultimatum, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media, Dr. Muideen Akorede explained that although the government is owing but noted that it is not uniform as some have cleared and are not owing up to that.
He pleaded with them to see reasons with the government as the current economic situation in the country is responsible but urged them to augment whatever the government is giving them with internal generated revenue of their various institutions.
As the deadline given by the Staff of Tertiary Institutions draw nearer, it is believed that both parties will come to an amicable solution in order not to plunge the education system into crisis.
