Strike: Ekiti HoS orders senior officers back to work

Following the directive of the Head of
Service of Ekiti State, Dr. Olugbenga Faseluka,
yesterday, asking level 13 officers and above and
those on essential services to return to work in
spite of the strike, the state police command
beefed up security in government offices and
provided protection to workers on duty.

The police deployed Armoured Personnel Carrier
and several hilux vans in the new and old
governor’s offices as well as the State House of
Assembly, to prevent labour leaders from gaining
access to picket as witnessed earlier.

The anti-riot policemen frisked those entering
and conducted thorough search on vehicles
entering the government offices, particularly
those at the secretariat and new governor’s office.

The labour task force, led by the Chairman of the
Nigerian Labour Congress, Comrade Ade
Adesanmi , in an earlier operation, led labour
officials to some government offices and chased
out those on duty.

Irked by the development, Faseluka had
condemned the action and said extant laws
prevented certain categories of workers from
going on strike, describing the action as a breach
of administrative regulation.

According to a statement signed on behalf of the
Head of Service by the Permanent Secretary in
the Office of Establishment and Training, Mr Banji
Ojo, urged all accounting officers, officers on
grade level 13 and above, Administrative Officers
and officers on essential duties to report for duty
without fear of molestation.

When called by newsmen on massive deployment
of men and officers of the police, the Command’s
Public Relations Officer, Mr Alberto Adeyemi, said
the deployment has no connection with picketing
by labour.

Adeyemi said what they did was a routine security
action, which was carried out to protect
government property and prevent other
nefarious activities on government offices now
that the workers are on strike.

“What we did was a routine security work.

Workers are on strike and government property
must be safe and the only way we can do this is by
deploying our men to those offices. We have no
sinister mission about this,” he said.

The NLC Chairman who condemned the order by
Head of Service, said; “If there is any civil servant
now working despite this strike, then it is a
betrayal of trust. What we are fighting for is for
everybody.

“We should also know that if salary is paid today,
everybody will benefit regardless of the level.

So, whoever goes back to office when the strike
is still on is a betrayer and this is very bad and
uncalled for.”

On the police deployment, Adesanmi said; “We
won’t stop the police from doing their job, but
they should not also disturb us, because we are
only exercising our rights.”