A worker at the Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology, Igboora, Tunrayo Sofolahan, has explained why she attempted to kill herself last Saturday.
Sofolahan confirmed to Punch that she took an overdose of an undisclosed drug in order to take her life.
She said, “I have debts to pay and other issues that require money to sort out. Money was not coming because our salaries have yet to be paid. I was fed up. So I took an overdose of some drugs. I was revived in the hospital. But my debt and troubles are still there.”
Also speaking on the matter, the Chairman of the Joint Action Council of the six tertiary institutions owned by the Oyo State Government, Adeniyi Babatunde, said some workers in the institutions, who were owed 15 months salaries, took ill recently and died.
The widow of the former Vice-Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, Okeogun Polytechnic chapter, Taofeek Jokanola, said her husband died because of his inability to fulfil his family obligations due to financial problems.
She said, “He was not sick. We had children in schools, but we could not pay their fees. We also had accommodation problems. We were asked to leave the apartment that we occupied.
“I am also a member of staff of the school. So we shared the same financial problems because we are being owed several months’ salaries. He must have had too many problems in his mind. He collapsed and died.”
Another widow, this time of Dr Kabiru Bello of the Animal Health and Production Department, Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology, Igboora, Lateefat, also said when her husband fell ill, he was taken to the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital in Ile-Ife and the University College Hospital, Ibadan but later died at OAUTH.
She told the newspaper that some of his friends and relatives raised money for his treatment, but it was not enough to save him from death.
“My husband died on August 16 this year. He was employed by the school in 2011. When he became ill, we spent all we had on the sickness and later began to raise money through friends and relatives because his salaries were not paid.
“He was taken to OAUTH and later, he spent 14 days at the UCH . He later died at the hospital. We have three children together, but there is nothing left for us. I am a graduate of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, but I am unemployed ,” said Lateefat.