Sacked Ekiti university workers write Fayemi, want appeal against their reinstatement stopped

Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi has been told to impress it upon the management of the Ekiti State University to discontinue the process of appeal against the industrial court judgement reinstating 32 sacked workers of the institution.

The 32 technologists, who said they were happy with the industrial court judgment and were preparing to resume to their duty posts, lamented that “Unfortunately, this was truncated upon the receipt by our counsel ‘a notice seeking for leave of appeal’ and ‘an order for stay of execution at the appellate court and industrial court respectively.’”

They made the plea in a letter to the governor titled, ‘Re: Judgment and reinstatement of EKSU 32 technologists, issues arising and plea for consideration’ dated January 11, 2021 and signed by Joshua Ogundipe and Ayodeji Ayiti.

The technologists said that the request to the governor and halting the appeal process “will bring back our means of livelihood and that of our families and dependants; it will also allow us to continue to make a positive impact on the overall development of the university while advancing in a career.”

The university had on December 5, 2019, disengaged the workers but the National Industrial Court of Nigeria sitting in Akure, the Ondo State capital, on December 8, 2020, ordered the reinstatement of the workers, saying the manner of their sack was ‘unlawful, null and void’ since their appointment ‘enjoys statutory favour after having their appointments confirmed by the university council.”

They said that their resort to court was following the universities’ insistence that their appointment was irregular and that there was no money to foot their wage bill and the failure of the steps they took so far.

The technologists said, “Your Excellency, to press for our reinstatement, we made contacts and pleaded to well-meaning parsons in the society including religious and traditional rulers within and outside the state.

“Part of such was the request made to Ekiti State House of Assembly to look into our unjust disengagement and also letters to you, Your Excellency before we opted to file for a suit at the Akure Division of NICN based on your advice.”

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