*Unions’ national leaders’ll storm Ogun — AMBALI

By Daud Olatunji

ABEOKUTA—Ogun State government yesterday cleared the air on the reason it sacked the State Chairmen of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, Akeem Ambali and Dare Ilekoya respectively and fourteen others.

Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun

The government said it sacked the affected civil servants because they got involved in partisan politics by publicly admitting receiving money from a politician and also hiring a musician with whom they sang praises of the said politician while chanting political slogans in the course of the World Teachers Day celebration.

The government stated this through a statement signed by Senior Special Assistant to governor Amosun on media, Adejuwon Soyinka and made available to newsmen in Abeokuta, the state capital.

Soyinka said the affected civil servants were alleged to have been involved in certain acts of misconduct in the course of the 2016 World Teachers Day celebration on October 5, 2016 way before the ongoing strike action commenced.

The statement read thus: “Our attention has been drawn to insinuations in some quarters that the Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, dismissed some civil servants due to the ongoing strike action in the state.

“For the avoidance of doubt, we will like to state unequivocally that there is no iota of truth in this speculation.

“Contrary to such claims, what truly transpired is that the Ogun State Civil Service Commission, in furtherance of its statutory responsibility of maintaining discipline and adherence to public service rules and regulations, took the decision to sanction some civil servants.”

Meanwhile, in a statement issued on Monday and signed by the Ogun State Head of Service, Elder Sola Adeyemi, the State Civil Service Commission explained that it received complaints from concerned members of the public against some public and civil servants allegedly involved in various acts of misconduct in the course of the 2016 World Teachers Day celebration.

“To determine the veracity of such complaints and give the affected civil and public servants the opportunity for fair hearing, the Civil Service Commission said it set up an administrative panel of Inquiry on October 17, 2016.

“The panel’s term of reference include, among others, to investigate the events of October 5, 2016 at the NUT Multipurpose Hall, Kuto, Abeokuta with a view to identifying the public and civil servants directly or indirectly involved in partisan political activities; determine the culpability or otherwise of the identified public servants and recommend appropriate disciplinary actions in line with the public service rules and extant regulations.

“Before arriving at its decisions, the panel issued queries and invited the affected civil servants who in turn made written and oral representations. After listening to all parties involved, including witnesses, as well as reviewing the evidences at its disposal, the panel recommended the dismissal of 16 public and civil servants.”

Labour leaders kick

Meanwhile, the  embattled NLC Chairman, Akeem Ambali, has said the national presidents of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress, and the National Joint Negotiating Council will storm Abeokuta, Ogun State capital today (Wednesday) for a rally.

Speaking with newsmen on the telephone on Tuesday, Ambali said the NLC national president, Ayuba Wabba, TUC national President, Boboi Kaigama and the national president National Joint Negotiating Council, among others would be in the state to address the workers.

He said: “The national presidents of the NLC, TUC, and the JNC among others will be addressing the workers of Ogun State tomorrow (Wednesday) in a rally. The rally will hold at the NLC secretariat Abeokuta.

The state chairman, TUC, Olubunmi Fajobi, also confirmed to our correspondent that apart from the national presidents of the NLC, TUC and JNC, those of the NULGE and NUT will also be gracing the event.

The organised labour made up of the state chapters of the NLC, TUC and the JNC had ordered workers in the state to proceed on indefinite strike based on these demands among others: Outstanding 12 months unions check off dues, 12 months of deductions which included bank loans repayment, cooperative savings and Ileya/festival savings.