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Gabriel Dike
The Lagos State Government has directed 23 union leaders of Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (AOCOED) to report daily to the Office of Special Adviser on Education to the Governor.
The letters of invitation from the SA on Education to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu was sent on Tuesday to the office of AOCOED provost.
In a swift reaction to the invitation, the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU), Senior Staff Union of Colleges of Education of Nigeria (SSUCOEN), Non-Academic Staff (NASU) and National Association of College of Education Technologist of Nigeria (NACEATON) described the action of the SA as intimidation and called on the government to withdraw the letters.
Briefing newsmen on the state of affairs in the college, representatives of AOCOED Joint Staff Unions (RAJSU) confirmed that the registrar and bursar had been declared persona-non-grata and their offices sealed off.
A spokesperson for RAJSU, Mr. Ajayi Ige, said the four staff unions took the decision following the inability of the registrar and bursar to produce MoU document between two banks operating in AOCOED and a telecommunication firm mast.
According to Ige, the unions demanded to know how much the two banks and a telecommunication firm paid to AOCOED for operating within the campus in the last 16 years and denied that the duo was manhandled.
The unions accused the two principal offices of taking over the job of the procurement department and alleged they bought all accreditation equipment and vehicles.
The four staff unions rejected the letters directing them to resume at the office of the SA on Education on a daily basis from 8.00 am to 4.00 pm.
In the rejection letter to the SA, RAJSU said ”this sounds unthinkable in the democratic era in an autonomous tertiary institution like ours.”
The letter, a copy of which was sent to the speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly and chairman, House Committee on Education, said the action taken by the unions were against two principal officers who had caused economic sabotage, fraught with administrative lapses in the college.
”We advise you to use your good offices to practise fair play in all ramifications,” RAJSU reminded the SA.
The SA on Education to the Governor, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, confirmed the union leaders were directed to report to his office because they assaulted the registrar, bursar, and the chief security officer of the college, sealed their offices and stopped them from entering the campus.
”The unions do not have the right to beat up any staff no matter the issue. Who gave them the powers to lock up their offices; the locked offices are state government property. I have reports of the incident. I will first issue them queries and apply the law.
”Can you imagine the unions prepared obituary of the registrar and bursar? The government will not tolerate this kind of behaviour from its workers. I have seen their letter rejecting their invitation to report to Alausa; have they forgotten they are public servant?”
Wahab said despite the assault on the two principal officers and the CSO, he will not sweep the allegations against them under the carpet.
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