Lecturers of the College of Education, Ikere-Ekiti, on Wednesday protested against the direct deduction of taxes from the subvention released to the institution.

The lecturers also demanded the immediate payment of their seven months’ salary arrears, without which, they said, much hardship would be inflicted on them and their families.

Protesting under the College of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU), they marched from the new Science Complex where they earlier held an emergency congress and then moved to the Provost’s Office.

The COEASU Chairman in the college, Adedayo Olokesusi, led the protest and addressed the principal officers at the Administrative Building where the march terminated.

In a seven-point communique signed by Mr. Olokesusi and union’s Secretary, Dare Owolabi, the lecturers described the statement government’s act of deducting taxes directly from the monthly subvention to the school without the knowledge of the tax payers as “highly barbaric.”

“The union hereby demand the release of the amount deducted from May 2017 subvention by the state government with immediate effect,” the communiqué read.

“The union also frowns at the policy of divide-and-rule employed by the state government on the payment of salaries to workers in the state where some categories of workers have been paid two months salaries ahead of the subvented institutions.

“The union considers it a wicked act for a government that is owing workers seven months salaries to be deducting taxes from the subvention of the College.

“The tax being paid by College staff was duly negotiated during the previous administration and all parties agreed to the payment based on the economic situation in the country.

“The previous administration had agreed with the Union on the current tax being paid by members because we made it known that payments like project supervision allowance, hazard allowance, excess work load allowance, leave bonus etc cannot be taxed and all these have been consolidated in the current salary structure.”

The union further called on the state government to increase the college’s subvention without any delay.