Osun Under Fire: Ilesha Varsity Workers Decry 10 Months of Unpaid Salaries, Face Sack Threats

The Osun State Government appears to be deepening its reputation for promise and fail this time, with the lives and welfare of hundreds of newly employed staff at the University of Ilesha hanging in the balance.

Ten months after their employment, both academic and non-academic workers at the university have reportedly not received a single salary payment. Many of them have continued to show up to work daily, clinging to the hope that relief will one day come.

Investigations reveal that the affected staff were employed around January 2025, following the state government’s public announcement of new appointments to strengthen the university’s academic and other managerial operations. However, the excitement that followed their letters of employment has since turned to despair and disappointment.

“I have, in the last 45 years of my life, never experienced working every day for months without any hope of payment,” said one academic staff member who spoke on condition of anonymity. “And nobody can say anything because of the fear of being relieved of their job.”

He recalled how the recruitment process was politicized, with allegations that many of those mobilized to the university were “lettered and unlettered people from Ede,” following the emergence of the current administration.

Another lecturer described the situation in even stronger terms, calling it “modern-day slavery laced with sadness.”
“There is no literary simile that can capture what we are going through. Imagine borrowing money from Ede to Osogbo, crossing the November 27 Bridge, and shouting ‘help’ to Ilesha every day, sometimes even sleeping at work just to meet up the next morning,” he lamented.

Within the university community, fear now walks the corridors more than hope. Multiple sources confirmed that staff members who dared to question management or government officials about their unpaid wages were issued queries or veiled threats.

A non-teaching staff who also spoke anonymously said: “I have been threatened twice for calling the management, the state government, and even our union to question the deafening silence on our salaries. It is sad, and it doesn’t look like things will change soon.”

The situation, according to insiders, has created a culture of fear where workers endure quiet suffering to protect their jobs, even as their morale and welfare deteriorate.

Observers within Osun’s political space believe the problem goes beyond administrative delay. Some point to growing uncertainty around Governor Ademola Adeleke’s political future as a major factor.

As the 2026 elections approach, government attention has reportedly shifted toward political calculations rather than governance delivery, leaving key institutions like the University of Ilesha in a state of neglect.

The University of Ilesha was envisioned as a beacon of academic excellence and a driver of local development. Instead, it has become a symbol of broken promises, where those meant to shape the minds of future leaders now struggle to survive without pay.

Ten months without remuneration raises serious ethical and administrative questions. How can a government that preaches education and empowerment leave its own university staff unpaid for nearly a year and punish those who dare to ask why?

Until their salaries are paid and their dignity restored, the University of Ilesha stands as a painful reminder that behind the state’s political fanfare lies a deepening crisis of governance.

All efforts to reach the Osun State Commissioner for Information, Kolapo Alimi, proved abortive as his phone number was not reachable and he did not respond to calls or messages. Similarly, the Public Relations Officer of the University of Ilesha could not be reached for comments at the time of filing this report.