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Gabriel Dike
As the staff unions of Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH) await the visitation panel promised by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Governing Council of the institution has approved the sack of five union leaders.
The governing council at its 11th meeting held on September 20, 2019, approved the sack of non-academic and academic staff union for alleged gross misconduct.
Our correspondent gathered that the approval was based on reports of the Staff Disciplinary Committee (SDC), Senior Staff Appointment and Promotion Committee (SSAPC) and Promotion Committee A&PC of the council.
A break-down revealed that two members of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), one member of Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics (SSANIP) and two others that belong to the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) were sacked.
One of the sack letters sighted by our correspondent dated September 20 and signed by the Registrar, Mrs. Olatokunbo Olubiyi reads: ”In view of the above, you are hereby informed of your dismissal from the polytechnic with effect from Friday 20th September 2019.”
The staff unions embarked on a seven-month strike from January to July resulting in the disruption of academic and administrative activities. During the strike, the workers prevented the rector, his deputies, registrar, bursar, and other principal officers from entering the campus.
In a swift reaction, the staff unions called on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and well-meaning Lagosian to prevail on the Sogunro-led management to stop the fresh onslaught on members and union leaders.
The statement signed by three union leaders and titled: ”Mass sack of union leaders looms LASPOTECH: The fresh onslaught of Sogunro-led management”, said since January, the management launched a series of oppressive victimisation on the staff of the polytechnic.
”The management had sent over 48 to Ikoyi and Kirikiri prisons on trump-up charges which led to the death of Comrade Owolabi Sunday while another incarcerated staff is presently on partial stroke.
”The case of NASU 4 that was illegally disengaged still lingers, as the management vowed not to reverse the illegality despite the governor’s intervention. On Monday 24th September 2019, five members of staff were dismissed as a result of their involvement in the union’s struggle.”
The statement further disclosed that another five union leaders had been served letters to appear before the staff disciplinary committee that was set up by the management to sack en-mass union leaders on Monday, September 30.
”We, therefore, call on His Excellency, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Commissioner for Education, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Education and well-meaning Lagosians to come to the aid of LASPOTECH staff, before Mr. Samuel Sogunro pushes the polytechnic into another round of crisis,” they appealed.
