…urges Adeleke to regularise all contract staff with over five years of service
In a stirring open letter to Governor Ademola Adeleke-led government in Osun state, Adeniji Michael Oluwafemi — an alumnus of the Osun State College of Technology (OSCOTECH) — has raised a powerful voice for justice on behalf of contract lecturers and staff in the state’s tertiary institutions.
Describing them as heroes “who taught me when their own bellies were empty,” Adeniji lamented their continued suffering despite years—sometimes decades—of dedicated service.
“They are not strangers,” he wrote. “They are the lecturers who stood before blackboards, the technicians who repaired broken lab equipment with hope, the clerks who processed our results by candlelight.”
Adeniji decried the ongoing neglect and exploitation of contract lecturers and staff across Osun State’s higher institutions, painting a vivid picture of resilience, sacrifice, and systemic failure that has left generations of educators wounded—but still standing.
He noted that more than 70 percent of the workforce in institutions such as Osun State Polytechnic, Iree; Osun State College of Technology, Esa‑Oke; the College of Education, Ila‑Orangun; and the Osun State School of Health Technology, Ilesa remain on contract after 10 to 20 years of service, denied full employment and basic dignities.
According to him, PhD holders earn as little as ₦45,000 monthly, MSc holders ₦40,000, and BSc/HND holders ₦36,000—all significantly below the ₦70,000 minimum wage benchmark proposed at the national level.
“Can you imagine watching your children go hungry because your salary can’t even cover transport?” he asked.
Read Also: FULL LIST: UK Introduces new English tests for visa, citizenship applicants
He added that many of these educators risk their lives commuting to work without job security—some even losing their lives in avoidable circumstances caused by this precarious situation.
Adeniji traced the roots of the crisis to years of governmental neglect. He noted that former Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola was the last to carry out a comprehensive recruitment exercise, while successive APC-led governments under Rauf Aregbesola and Adegboyega Oyetola allegedly ignored calls from the governing councils for reform.
He said that Governor Ademola Adeleke, who campaigned on a platform of change, must now be held accountable for not translating promises into action.
“Will Senator Ademola Nurudeen Jackson Adeleke be another chapter in their sorrow, or the beginning of their redemption?” he asked.
To address the crisis, Adeniji listed five key demands:
“Immediate regularisation of all contract staff with over five years of service.
“Abolition of the exploitative Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) contract model.
“Upgrading of salaries to a minimum of ₦70,000 in accordance with national standards.
“Creation of a reform oversight committee comprising staff, alumni, and civil society groups.
“A public apology and a signed, dated, and enforceable roadmap from the state government.
He also called on Diran Odeyemi, Chairman of OSCOTECH’s Governing Council, to act with urgency and integrity, urging him to consider the legacy he will leave behind in the face of this crisis.
Adeniji appealed to the media, civil society organisations, and the wider public to echo the pain of the lecturers and demand justice for them.
“They taught me when I was hungry. Now I will speak until they are fed,” he declared.
“This is not just a plea—it is a movement in the making. And the time to act is now.”