Aregebesola Sack Workers Of Colleges Of Education In Osun State
Osun State Governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, has ordered the sacking of lecturers and other members of staff at the Osun State Colleges of Education Ilesa and Ila Orangun. It was gathered on Saturday that termination letters for the affected staff were taken to the two institutions of higher learning on Friday but the workers refused to collect the letters. The disengagement letters were said to have been brought to the institutions from the Ministry of Education, Osogbo, the state capital.
In Ila Orangun 37 lecturers and 34 non-teaching staff were said to be affected, while 34 workers, including lecturers, were sacked at Ilesa.
The Chairman of the College of Education Academic Staff Union, Ila Orangun branch, Mr. Segun Onifade, who confirmed the sacking, told our correspondent on the telephone that no fewer than 71 members of staff, including lecturers were affected in the mass sacking.
Onifade, however, said the union instructed the affected lecturers not to collect the termination letters which were brought to the school on Friday.
The Chairman and Secretary of Council of Academic Staff Unions of Osun State Owned Tertiary Institutions, Jimoh Lasisi and Olusegun Lana, respectively also confirmed the sacking in a statement made available to journalists.
The statement read, “Letters of termination of appointment were issued to several members of staff in Osun State owned Tertiary Institutions on Friday.
“This is coming just a few hours after the Academic Staff Unions notified the government of its readiness to take ‘any necessary action of last resort’ after the failure of government to address festering issues despite the unions’ several pleas and ultimatum.
“The union has directed members not to collect any letter while congress holds soon to decide the next line of action.”
The Chairman, Governing Council of OSSCE, Ila Orangun, Mr. Niyi Akande, when contacted on the telephone neither denied nor confirmed the sacking.
He said, “I don’t know. Since you said it happened on Friday and I don’t live in Ila. I would be briefed on Monday if it is true.”
The Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic at Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, Mr. Dotun Omisore, also told our correspondent that the list of those to be sacked in the institution had been compiled.
He said he learnt that the letters would be distributed on Monday (tomorrow).
The Chief of Staff to the Governor, Mr. Gboyega Oyetola, when contacted on the telephone by our correspondent, debunked the claims of the lecturers.
Oyetola, who did not pick calls put across to his telephone however responded in the negative to the inquiry of sack sent to him through text message.
He simply replied, “No.”
