Sacked Ekiti workers protest, beg Fayemi for reabsorption

TWO  thousand workers sacked by the Ekiti State government,  on Friday,  protested and appealed to Governor Kayode Fayemi to rescind the decision.

Though the protest was peaceful, but it was full of  emotion as most of them broke down in tears saying that after eight months of  working without payment, they’ve still lost the job.

They were the 568 primary and secondary school  teachers employed by Governor Ayodele Fayose, among the 2,000 teachers employed after the July 14,2018 elections.

They came in a group and staged peaceful protest and brandished their letters of appointment dated 28th September 2018 at the Teaching Service Commission (TSC) at secretariat complex at about 8.30am.

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The Commissioner for Information, Mr Muyiwa Olumilua, on Wednesday revealed government’s intention to sack the 2,000 workers and saying their  appointments contravened the law.

Spokesman of the sacked workers, Mr. Olawole Ganiyu, said contrary to the pronouncement made by government that they were employed illegally, their appointments were in line with the civil service rule.

According to him, “during the  Fayose-led government,  we were at home when vacancies  were advertised. We paid N1000 to buy forms. We wrote examinations  and sat for interview. Results of the examinations  were pasted at TSC.

“Later, qualified  people sat for  interview and letters of appointment and posting  were given to successful people. What was in our letters was that, we are to work for three months before getting salaries, but we have not been paid a dime since eight months ago.

“Government must be passionate. We were born and brought up here in Ekiti.  Most of us have relocated to our schools and worked hard. Some of us even resigned from our previous places of work to take up these appointments.”

However another victim, Mr. Akande Adekunle, expressed sadness that they could be allowed to suffer since September 28, 2018 when they were offered employments without any pay.

He said “We went through due process. It was a legitimate process. When the present government came, we expected  pronouncement from the government and TSC, but  they said we should be working because  our employment was legitimate.”

“ We have to clarify  that we were not  sponsored by  politicians. We have no godfathers and government should be a continuum. Why are we being treated this way? It was shocking that they said we didnt  pass through due process.

“One of us lost her pregnancy, because of the shocking news. People of goodwill should intervene in this matter. We should not be sacrificed on the altar of politics, we don’t carry party cards”.

However  the Chairmen of Nigeria Labour Congress(NLC), Com Joshua Kolapo and his counterpart in Trade Union Congress (TUC), Com Sola Adigun, begged the government to rescind the decision and reabsorb the workers.

But the release  signed by Fayemi’s Chief Press Secretary Mr, Yinka Oyebode , said  the governor did not sack any one , saying “ you cannot sack people  duly employed in the first place.”

He said : “The cruitments were obviously mischievous because it neither followed due process nor was ever completed.

“ The affected persons were not duly captured in the Civil Service Structure. Apart from a letter of “employment , they do not exist in the State Civil Service Nominal Roll.

“They were never captured in the State’s Biometric payment system and never received any salary since the purported “appointments”.

I did not sack any worker —Gov

GOVERNOR Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti, on Friday, said that no genuine staff of the state public service was sacked by his government.

Fayemi, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Olayinka Oyebode, explained that he was only correcting what he said was the fundamental error of his predecessor, Mr Ayo Fayose.

“Fayemi never sacked anyone. You cannot sack people who were not duly employed in the first place.

“The so called “recruitments” carried out were obviously mischievous because it neither followed due process nor was it  ever completed

“For instance, the affected persons were not duly captured in the Civil Service Structure

“Apart from a letter of “employment purportedly given them, they do not exist in the state civil dervice nominal pay roll.

“Besides, they were never captured in the state’s Biometric Payment System and never received any salary since the purported “appointments” since October 2018.

“You can imagine 2,000 applicants who did not know the offices or jobs they were being employed for. An application form that did not indicate the position each applicant was vying for.

“So, this means they were arbitrarily assigned to jobs after an unprofessional “interview” process.

“How logical is it for a government that was owing 9 months salary/pension to add to wage bill?

“The Local Government Service Commission and others saw through the scam and refused to issue phoney letters to purported “employees”

“Public notices and announcements of warning were issued to the public by the incoming administration then, that a government that had less than 45 days to leave office should not engage in a theatre of the absurd, but the affected job seekers ignored the caveat.

“The said application fee of N1,000 paid by each of them was paid to fraudsters and not into government account

“A genuine government recruitment application fee will be paid into TSA, and not private accounts

“A proper recruitment process will begin as soon as the Head of Service ascertains the available vacancies in the Public Service, in line with the directive of the governor

“All Ekiti indigenes, including those 2,000 persons whose illegal appointments were cancelled are qualified to apply,” he said.

The organised labour in the state, however, said they would intervene in the plight of the workers who are victims of the past government appointments.

Chairmen of the Nigeria Labour Congress, (NLC), Joshua Kolapo and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Sola Adigun, said everything would be done to persuade goverment to back down

“We know ordinarily that what we are out to fight for, is not a right. It is just to persuade and beg, at least in the interest of innocent job seekers and their dependants.

“We will let government know that the newly recruited staff are not in anyway at fault. We will also let them know that two wrongs do not make a right, especially when you consider the high rate of unemployment in town and the desperation that accompanies such circumstances.”

“Gov Fayemi is our father and we know he will take kindly to our pleas by kindly considering many factors, especially the dependants of the affected workers and let them be.

“Yes, the past government may have committed error which we all understand, but that is not to say the doors are automatically shut against us to beg him on their hehalf so that he can have a change of heart,” the leaders said.