Labour Writes Fayemi, Asks Him to Stop Sacking Workers
Kayode Fayemi
Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti
The organised labour in Ekiti State has written the state governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi expressing dissatisfaction with the dismissal of 1,200 public servants by the state government.
Labour said that the decision of the government to sack the workers was arbitrary and killing.
It warned against the plan to sack more public servants across all tertiary institutions, Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), noting that it would have grave implication for the state.
It expressed these concerns in a letter it addressed to the governor on Friday, asking him to end the ugly trend so as not to give his administration and Ekiti State a bad name in the comity of states in the federation.
The letter was jointly signed by Secretary, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr. Taiwo Akinyemi; Secretary, Trade Union Congress (TUC) Mr. Lawrence Kuloogun and Secretary, Joint Negotiating Council, Mr. Gbenga Olowoyo.
The letter said the leadership of the labour “is constrained to bring to the governor’s notice about the recent happenings at the EKSUTH, which revolves around sacking of 200 members of staff of the health institution.”
It noted that the recent dismissal in various sectors “is not only worrisome, but also calls for serious attention because of the image that the development is attracting to our dear state as well as the government of the day.
“For instance, information at our disposal as well as in the public domain indicated that those that were sacked, disengaged or compulsorily retired did not follow due process.
“Also, it is very disheartening that some workers that have four, three and two years were caught up in the web of this ugly development which is not in the best interest of entire workforce and generality of Ekiti.”
It cited the case of Mr. Femi Adeleye Daniel, a staff in the Porter Departmental of Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH), who was compulsorily retired because he was involved in the mobilisation of workers for congress meeting held at the Teaching Hospital premises.”
Labour said it “is seriously concerned with information milling rounds that the current sacking, compulsory and untimely retirement of workers, is a whirlwind that will soon blow across the entire workforce in the state.
“We do not want to believe the rumours peddling around that the state government wants to have mass disengagement of workers that have two or three more years in the Public Service of Ekiti State,” the letter read.
It lamented that there was plan to sack some staff members of the Ekiti School of Health technology, Ijero Ekiti; Ekiti State College of Education, Ikere Ekiti; Ekiti State Local Government Service Commission (NULGE), Broadcasting Service of Ekiti State and Ekiti State Water Corporation.
It also disclosed that staff members of Ekiti State Electricity Board, Ekiti State Housing Corporation, Core Civil Service, Ekiti State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM) Secondary School Teachers and Hospital Management Board would be affected.
Labour said the development had started causing disquietness and uneasy calm among the workforce in Ekiti, and called on the governor to intervene.
It said: “It is expedient and imperative to remind you of your commitment that you will not allow anything untoward to affect the workforce in Ekiti State and you promised during your inaugural speech that you are back as an healing balm on a painful wound.”
The letter, thus, urged the governor “to put a stop to the ugly trends in respect of EKSU and EKSUTH so as not to give your administration and Ekiti State a bad name in the comity of states in Nigeria.”
Labour said it was unimaginable that management of any governmental institution could contemplate to give sack letters as Christmas and New Year gift to breadwinners.
