Let it be noted that the state government is not responsible for the payment. - Ajimobi

Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, has appealed to the striking state-owned higher institutions that the administration is prepared to increase their subventions as soon as its renewed efforts to enhance its revenue-base begin to bear fruit.


Ajimobi, who made the appeal while inaugurating the governing councils of the tertiary institutions owned by the state, at the Governor’s Office, Ibadan, on Tuesday, sought the understanding of the striking workforce.

The affected institutions are The Polytechnic, Ibadan; Ibarapa Polytechnic, Eruwa; College of Education, Lanlate; The Oke-Ogun Polytechnic, Saki; Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, Oyo; and the College of Agriculture and Technology, Igbo-Ora.

The workers had embarked on strike due to irregular payment of salaries, which they blamed on the decision of the state government to reduce their subventions to 25 per cent of the original sum.

The government had, in turn, emphasized that the dwindling accruals to the state, triggered by the pervading recession, called for belt-tightening measures, including a reduction in subventions to MDAs.

In his address to the new governing council chairmen, the governor had explained that it was wrong to tie payment of salaries of tertiary institutions to the discretionary subventions coming from the government.

He explained that it was the responsibility of the governing council of the institutions to mobilize revenue for the running of the institutions, including payment of salaries, while the government augments with subvention that it could afford.

Ajimobi said, “For varying lengths of time, the institutions have been shut down by the trade unions who are demanding prompt payment of salaries and allowances to their members. This is a challenging time in the lives of these institutions you are coming in.

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