The crisis between the Ogun State Government and labour leaders has deepened.
On Monday, Governor Ibikunle Amosun sacked the state chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Akeem Ambali, and 15 other leaders.
Amosun also suspended 19 members of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) who are chairmen of the union at various local government areas.
The union leaders and workers have been on strike since October 20 over unpaid deductions.
The government had constituted a panel of inquiry to investigate the alleged misconduct of executive members of the NUT at the 2016 World Teachers Day celebration.
On Monday, the government accepted the recommendations of the report of the panel and conveyed its position in a statement signed by the Head of Service, Elder Sola Adeyemi.
The government directed the appropriate agencies, including Local Government Service Commission, State Universal Basic Education Board and Teaching Service Commission, to implement the approved recommendations with immediate effect.
The statement claimed that government received complaints from concerned members of the public against some public and civil servants allegedly involved in various acts of misconduct and contravention of extant regulations during the 2016 World Teachers Day celebration.
It found the dismissed workers guilty of contravening the Public Service Rules 04401, 04421 (c & d) and 04406 (a).
Apart from Ambali, who was until his dismissal Deputy Director, Community and Social Development, Sagamu Local Government, the state NUT Chairman, Comrade Dare Ilekoya, was also dismissed.
The list included A.O. Oshin, Nola Balogun, Eniola Atiku, Solaru O, Adebanjo T, Akinola A. S, Oyolola S. A., Obafemi O.B., Ogunsola Peter, Akinlade S.A., Christopher T.A, Ogunrombi A.A, Azeez K.I, and Taiwo A.O.
Those placed on suspension are Comrade Odusanya S.A, Comrade Akapo, Comrade Atiku E. T, Comrade Adegbesan J.O, Comrade Adelami S.I, Comrade Obadara O, Comrade Ogunnuga O.A, Comrade Ayokambi T.A, Comrade Tijani A.A, and Comrade Adegbesan J. Ola.
The government also suspended Comrade Idowu A.O, Comrade Olaifa O.A, Comrade Bayo Lasore, Comrade Ahmodu S.A, Oludotun Oliyide, Comrade Tijani Y.A, Comrade Awode I.A, Comrade Dada O.A, and Comrade Adesanya Abiola A.
The NLC chairman was accused of being the brain behind the political campaign rally that held during the Teachers Day programme.
“He actively gave interviews, press statements and met several times with politicians in preparation for the D-Day. In his goodwill address to NUT on 5th October, 2016, he gave inflammable and scandalous speech, lambasting the state government which is a risk to peace and security of the state. He knowingly partook in the charade,” the panel submitted in its report.
But in his swift reaction, Ambali described Amosun’s reaction as “executive recklessness and abuse of all statutory laws”
The sacked NLC Chairman said in a statement that he was never summoned by any panel of inquiry constituted by the state government, adding that he received the news of his dismissal on phone.
He said, “The attention of the leadership was just drawn to the purported dismissal through phone calls.
“We are calling on our ever committed workers to remain at home and not be intimidated by this action that was against all norms of democratic and fair hearing. I have never been summoned by any panel and this clearly shows how autocratic and deceitful the government of Ibikunle Amosun is.
“Our cause for this strike is legitimate, just and right. They have only shown their true colours and this new approach is unprecedented in the history of this country, as no state governor has done what they are doing to us in Ogun State. Their past draconian efforts have never yielded any fruits, so also will be this move to cage us in Ogun state.
“We only want to warn that they should not set this state on fire, even as we urge our members to remain calm and just stay at home. Aluta continua!”
