Aggrieved workers beat journalists as protests rock Osun

Aggrieved Osun State workers yesterday attacked two journalists, Abass Okandeji of Muri International Television (MiTV) and Adeniyi Folorunsho of ONTV in Osogbo during a protest by the workers over non-payment of the arrears of their salary by the state governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola.

The students at Fakunle area during the protest 

 While the journalists were trying to cover the procession, the protesting workers transferred their aggression to the reporters and vented their anger on the harmless newsmen and beat them mercilessly.

Abass and Adeniyi were beaten blue black by the workers and it took the intervention of their colleagues, Ismail Afolabi and Abdullah Afolabi of Heartbeat magazine together with some officials of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to rescue the journalists from the workers.

It was discovered that the MiTV and ONTV reporters were mistaken for reporters of Osun State Broadcasting Corporation, (OSBC) as the workers had threatened to deal with OSBC crew. The journalists were rushed to the clinic in the government secretariat where they were treated.

Abass sustained injury on his chest as a result of several blows unleashed on him by the mob while Adeniyi had a deep cut on his left hand. The working tools of the journalists including their cameras were destroyed by the workers. The wristwatch of Ismail Afolabi was also carted away by the mob during the incident 

In another protest, hundreds of students of High School stormed the streets of Osogbo, capital of Osun State protesting against the education policy of Osun State government governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola.

The students said they were prevented from writing the Junior Secondary School examination because they could not present the receipt of payment of tax by their parents. The students lamented that their teachers were treating them with hatred because of the non-payment of their salary arrears.

The students who converged at the popular Olaiya junction in Osogbo caused traffic gridlock as they headed for the governor’s office to register their grievances to the governor.

the students during the protest 

One of the students, Bamigboye Oluwaseun told journalists that the protest became imperative as the state government refused to pay the salary of their parents and still demanding for the receipt of payment of tax when workers have not received salary.

Chanting anti-government songs, the students who claimed that they were sent out of school for their inability to present the tax clearance insisted that they would only comply when the government pay workers’ salary.

Other students whose parents are not civil servants said the economy of the state has collapsed owing to non-payment of workers’ salary and advised Aregbesola to pay the arrears of salary of workers before demanding for the receipt of payment of tax.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Mr. Lawrence Oyeniran, while addressing the protesting students stated that the tax scheme was introduced so that the parents of the students can pay their taxes. He urged the students to go back to their schools and assured them that the matter would be resolved.