AOCOED under fire for retirement of union chairman

 Gabriel Dike

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Lagos State Council and the Senior Staff Union of Colleges of Education in Nigeria (SSUCOEN) have condemned compulsory retirement of the branch chairman of SSUCOEN and demotion of two other union officials by the Governing Council of Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (AOCOED), Ijanikin.

Prof Tunde Samuel-led governing council had approved the retirement of the union chairman and the demotion of two unionists based on the recommendations of the Senior Staff Disciplinary Committee. Among those sanctioned were the Principal Assistant Registrar, who doubles as the branch chairman of SSUCOEN, the Secretary and Assistant Secretary of the union demoted by the council for misconduct.

The NLC Lagos State chairman, Funmi Sessi, described the action of AOCOED governing council as unacceptable and urged Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to call the council to order and reinstate the three union leaders.

She said the three union leaders were issued queries for legitimate demands of their members, debunking the claim by the institution’s management linking the union’s protest to hoodlums.

Similarly, the National Vice President of SSUCOEN, Mr. Nicholas Ogbusuo, also described the decisions of the governing council as inhuman and unjust.

According to Ogbusuo, the panel that took the decision met outside the college, stating ‘’it was national protest which was also led by the NLC Lagos council chairman’’.