Sack Of Ogun Labour Leaders: A Baseless And Reckless Move By the SEN. IBikunle Amosun Government
The Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun state, under the leadership of Engr. Adebayo Dayo hereby condemn the sack of 16 labour leaders and suspension of several others from the civil service of the state. The people of Ogun state were yesterday jolted at the decision of the Sen. Ibikunle Amosun administration to blatantly reprimand the Labour leaders in a manner that is logically baseless and coloured in vendetta.
We are further scandalized at government’s defence and rationalisation of the sack claiming it was the outcome of an administrative panel of inquiry into the activities of the affected officers during the October 5, 2016 World Teachers Day celebration where they were indicted to have “gotten involved in partisan politics by receiving monies from politicians and hiring a musician to sing the praises of politicians present at the event”; which to government, are contrary to extant public service rules.
The PDP finds the grounds of the sack as inexcusable, baseless and reckless; which may not be unconnected with the ongoing workers strike called by the Labour leaders. What government has forgotten is that, whereas, the public service rules clearly stipulates terms of engagement for workers, it is not superior to the federal constitution which guarantees the freedom of expression and association among other liberal rights.
Government needs to be educated that, the union of teachers is not a government body and in celebrating such a day, the teachers are at liberty to invite any freeborn citizen of this state or even beyond to celebrate with them. Government also need to be educated that the World Teachers Day is not a civil service function but a social event of like-minded people that can attract just anybody irrespective of their social or political leaning; except of course government is saying civil servants must compulsorily be members of the APC.
We are constrained to observe the antidemocratic tendencies of this administration that is now pervasive. We are not in a military junta and neither is Ogun state a banana republic where the right of citizens are eroded and anything goes. We recall the unwarranted physical brutalization of the same Labour leaders at the start of this strike two weeks ago; now, a kangaroo panel has sacked them. Instead of government to tow the honourable path of negotiating with Labour and accede to their legitimate demands, it has chosen the draconian path that is unprecedented in the history of Ogun state.
We sympathise with the Labour leaders and all civil servants in Ogun state over the unsavoury situation they find themselves. Not only are the proceeds of their hard work such as deductions, pensions and cooperative funds being mindlessly looted, they are now being beaten and chased out of their jobs for no justifiable cause. These are sad times in Ogun state. The Labour of our heroes past is coming to vain. The economy is comatose, abandoned projects litter the state, rural roads are impassable, education and health infrastructure are in shambles and citizens can no longer express their rights.
The Peoples Democratic Party is using this medium to call on responsible citizens and elder statesmen from Ogun state to call this faltering administration to order and immediately reverse the draconian decision to sack civil servants for exercising their rights. This impunity must not stand and Ogun state must not be allowed to drift further down in the hands of an overlord. Surely the regime of the locust shall come to pass.
Signed:
Bolaji Adeniji
State Publicity Secretary, Ogun PDP.