Osun varsity employs 230 ex-education college workers

The management of the University of Ilesa, Osun State, announced on Monday that the institution has granted full-time appointments to around 230 temporary staff members of the defunct College of Education.

Providing an update on the progress made by the university over the past 18 months, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Taiwo Asaolu, said the workers were those inherited from the College of Education after its upgrade into a university.

According to him, the workers had served for over 20 years as contract staff before the university offered them permanent appointments, having met all conditions for employment.

In April 2023, Governor Ademola Adeleke approved the appointment of Asaolu from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, as the pioneer Vice-Chancellor of the university, while Mr Funso Ojo was named the Registrar.

Dr Mukaila Oyekanmi was appointed as the Bursar, and Mr Adewale Ogunsipe was named the Librarian.

Meanwhile, the Vice-Chancellor, who mentioned the university is facing challenges in identifying its boundaries, noted that herders and illegal miners have been entering the campus without restriction.

Asaolu stated that within 18 months, the university had secured full accreditation for 67 courses, including nursing and law degrees, adding that the visitor to the university, Governor Ademola Adeleke, had also invested in infrastructure upgrades at the institution.

“Regarding staff welfare, the university received approval from Mr Governor to engage 230 temporary staff, inherited from the defunct College of Education, permanently within the university.

“May I also inform you that most of these temporary staff members, whose appointments were converted to permanent status, had spent over 20 years as temporary staff in the former college, receiving very poor and irregular monthly salaries?

“Their hopes were, however, renewed and restored as a result of Governor Adeleke’s magnanimity and kindness. Additionally, the Governing Council approved the promotion of thirteen (13) senior lecturers to the rank of associate professors.

“Several other categories of academic and non-teaching staff members also benefitted from promotions and upgrades during this period. Thirteen staff members of the defunct college were owed a significant amount of allowances, which had accumulated over many years.

“We made a special appeal to the Governor of Osun State, and Mr Governor, in his usual kindness and concern for workers’ welfare, approved the release of funds to offset the allowances. This helped Management in maintaining industrial harmony,” Asaolu said.

He also mentioned that the Nigerian Education Loan Fund had credited the university’s account with a sum of N98,871,500 as loan disbursements to 247 students of the institution.

As part of efforts to contribute to the immediate community of Ilesa, Asaolu said the university commissioned the Model Integrated Teaching and Research Farm, which includes fish ponds, a rabbit section, a cattle ranch, a sheep ranch, and arable crop plantations, among others.

He noted that the farm provides an ideal platform for practical teaching in agricultural practices, as well as a lifelong learning experience.

Commending Governor Adeleke and other philanthropists who have supported the university, Asaolu identified funding as the major challenge confronting the institution and called for additional support to sustain the current rate of development.