The management of the College of Education at Ikere-Ekiti has denied withholding subvention for the payment of workers’ salaries and check-off dues to cooperative societies.
The Provost, Prof. Mojisola Oyarekua, made the clarification in a statement yesterday.
She described the allegation credited to the college branch of the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) as “untrue and total misrepresentation of facts”.
The provost said the management had not received its April subvention, promising to pay the workers their salaries as soon as it gets the subvention.
Academic activities have been grounded at the college since Monday when the workers protested unpaid salary arrears.
They blocked the college’s main gate and placed fetish objects on the road.
Prof. Oyarekua said: “College authorities consider the welfare of workers an utmost priority and would never indulge in such unfairness.
“The college management appeals to the unions to show understanding and sheathe their swords because efforts are on to meet their needs.
“The management feels the pain of hardship being experienced by the workers due to non-payment of salaries; it was not the intention of the management to make anybody suffer.
“The situation is unfortunate and the precarious financial situation of the college can be attributed to the dwindling resources accruing to the state government which affects the release of subvention to the college.”
She said the financial position of the college was open to the unions, adding that the management had been running an open administration with regular interface with all the unions.