Staff of the Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology, Igboora, have begun an indefinite strike over persistent fractional and delayed salary payments.
The three workers’ unions in the institution, comprising the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics (SSANIP), and Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), unanimously agreed to commence the industrial action after a series of appeals to the Management yielded no positive result.
This was made known in a joint statement signed by Comrade Tajudeen Adeyemo, Chairman, NASU; Comrade Oyediran S. O., Chairman SSANIP; Comrade Tiamiyu M. B., Chairman, ASUP and made available to newsmen, on Thursday.
The strike, which officially began on July 1, 2025, was triggered by a memo released by the Management indicating its inability to augment the subvention provided by the State Government to enable full salary payments.
The staff said that despite a 25% increase in the institution’s monthly subvention since January 2025 and an upward review of internally generated revenue sources, staff members continue to face delayed and fractional salary payments.
The statement read: “We are increasingly worried that the same fate awaits us as the 25th day of the month—the expected payday for July salaries—approaches.
“Management has continued to claim that the 25% increase in subvention is insufficient to sustain full salary payments, even when augmented with internally generated revenue.”
The staff members have expressed growing frustration over the recurrent delay and fractional payment of salaries, despite the increased subvention and internally generated revenue.
They appealed to the Oyo State Government, under the leadership of Governor Seyi Makinde, to urgently intervene and come to the aid of the institution.
“We passionately appeal to His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Oyo State, Engineer Seyi Makinde, to kindly rescue us from this dire and demoralising financial situation.
“We request a further upward review of the monthly subvention to the college to ease the hardship and improve the poor condition of service currently faced by staff.” the statement read.
The strike has brought teaching and other academic activities to a halt, with staff members determined to continue the industrial action until their demands are met.
The staff also expressed disappointment that despite the increase in school fees for new intakes, the financial welfare of staff remains unchanged.
“We are no longer willing to continue in this situation. The government needs to intervene and provide adequate funding to the institution to enable it to meet its financial obligations to staff.
“It is disheartening that, among all the tertiary institutions in Oyo State, it is only the Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology, Igboora, that has consistently faced this challenge,” it read.
The staff members are calling for a further upward review of the monthly subvention to the college to ease the hardship and improve the poor condition of service currently faced by staff.
