Staff audit: Osun workers abandon exercise over conduct of consultant

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The ongoing staff verification exercise embarked upon by the Osun state government for its civil servants on Thursday reportedly put on hold by the state leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) over alleged clash with consultants handling the exercise.

According to sources close to the union, the exercise was suspended over alleged subordination and embarrassment of state workers.

The sources who preferred anonymity explained to our reporter that the decision to put it on hold is important to fashion out some things on how better the exercise should go and as a result of this, a meeting would be convened to map out modalities on the development.

Meanwhile, the ministry of health and that of Justice workers penciled down for Thursday exercise could not conclude it due to the claim that the consultants’ team were molesting them despite providing all necessary information required from them.

Our reporter also gathered that some requests by the consultant, including availability of security personnel were not met and as a result, walked out on workers.

The screening team clashed with some of the health workers whose responses to questions asked were not satisfactory or in doubt, the source told our reporter.

According to him, some of the issues responsible for confrontations include age and advanced certificates obtained by workers who proceeded with their studies on the job. However, the certificates were said to have been rejected by the screening committee despite being tendered and admitted in time past.

This was said to have resulted in a clash between the civil servants and the screening team and why the leadership of the union pronounced the exercise to be put on hold till further notice.

Speaking, one of the Labour leaders, Comrade Lasun Akindele, Chairman Negotiating Council, said “The consultant came late. She came around 1pm claiming that the terms of the agreements are yet to be met by the government. She said the logistics on security have not been provided. We went to the HoS and PS Human Resources, and her requirements were approved immediately. We brought a 30-seater bus she required, four securities and we fuelled the generator. “

“But she insisted that the security should be sleeping in their apartment from morning till night. Then the PS said we are not aware of that. That was how she ordered her men to vacate the hall.”

“Our members got angry because some have been coming since Monday and some since Tuesday. They accused the labor leaders of compromising, threw sachet waters on us, chanting rejection songs. They were fed up with her character and we couldn’t control them.”

On the part of Trade Union Congress (TUC), Mr. Adebowale accused the screening team of being disrespectful to workers.

“Our leaders should talk to her so that the way she will be talking to our people should have respect. You are the one that holds the stage. We are the teachers, we are accountants, we are the judges, so you can’t just rubbish us. Our employer should talk to her so that she will come back to the table. We can’t disobey the authority. We will go back there,” he said.

In his own remark, the state chairman, Nigeria Civil Service, Comrade (Dr) Chrisptopher Arapasogo noted that “It is a normal yearly routine that has to do with staff audits. What happened was that the consultant requested some facilities which were brought to her but she complained that what she wants is security.”

“People are saying that there are procedures but she never wanted to listen to that. The next thing she did was to tell her boys to stop working and we tried to persuade her. We advised that they should decentralize the exercise so that it will be easier for our people to come from various places to come for it. Immediately, she stopped working, our people said they have to go home.

“There is a committee handling it. We will fall back to the committee and see ways to resolve it,” he assured.

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