A call has gone to Kogi Governor, Usman Ododo, to offset salary arrears of 22 lecturers of Kogi State College of Education Ankpa of four years after they were screened in 2020.

Kogi Patriotic Group KPG has appeal to the state government to look it into the possibility of resolving the issue the management of the school claimed is beyond it.

This is needful particularly as some of the surviving lecturers are still in the services of the institution like other regular staff, and been used for accreditation exercises over the years.

Abdul Abdul spokesman of the body, decried the refusal of the previous administration that abandoned the senior academics, even though not found wanting.

He said: "Some of these senior academic staff have lost their lives to poverty, sickness and disease for doing the right thing.

“We are appealing for urgent payment of their entitlements particularly for those surviving and the deceased ones, as they have right to their wages.

“The management of the KSCOE, Head of Service, and all other relevant of government organs are aware of these injustices been meted out to the 22 lecturers, who have spent over two decades serving the state.

“Several emissaries to the immediate past administration of Governor Yahaya Bello fell on deaf ear, but in the spirit of new leadership, reconciliation and reconstruction, we are appealing to Governor Usman Ododo to immediately look into the plight of the affected lecturers.

“How can very senior academic staff that assumed duty in the early 2000, be suddenly converted to casual staff and doing the bidding of permanent staff reverting the future of the affected ones and their families to misery.

“We are confident that Kogi Governor Usman Ododo will direct the relevant authority to do the needful, if not for anything, but for posterity and humanity.”

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