…drive workers out of offices by force to join protest
Protesting members of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC in Oyo State, on Tuesday, stormed the state secretariat on second day of their protest, beating civil servants who refused to follow the directives of the labour union to join the ongoing protest in the state.
The protesters who are members of the labour union, were drawn from various ministries which include judiciary, parastatals and other agencies.
Civil servants were beaten up by the protesters under the watch of some labour leaders, disrupting activities in government offices for several hours, locking some in their offices.
Recall that the ongoing protest by the NLC began on Monday, following their demands for payment of leave bonus, payment of gratuities to retirees who have been stagnated since the year 2021 and release of promotion letters for the Year 2021 and 2022.
The aggrieved labour members blocked the entrance to the government secretariat in the state for the second time over the failure of Governor ‘Seyi Makinde to meet and dialogue with them.
This is their first attempt to press home their demand for payment of their deductions, allowances, among other struggles, since the the inauguration of the governor in 2019.
While some protesters stormed the entrance of the state secretariat, some male members of the union were assigned to sack offices within the secretariat, chasing out civil servants to join the protest by force.
The protesters, who carried sticks sang songs and disrupted official duties which also affected vehicular movement.
A victim of the harassment, Dare Olaniyan, sustained injuries when he was manhandled by the protesters.
While speaking with Vanguard, Olaniyan, a staff of the state’s Ministry of Information and Orientation, said he was beaten by some of the protesters, despite identifying himself to them.
He said: “I came inside Secretariat presmises to pick my belongings, in the office. All attempts to explain this to the protesters fell on deaf ears, as they launched an attack on me, for no just cause.”
“But rather than settling the issue amicably, the NLC members decided to go physical, engaging me and others with me in a fight,” he said.
It took the intervention of the the Executive Assistant to the Governor on Security, CP Sunday Odukoya (rtd) who drove to the scene to stop them immediately.
Mr. Odukoya then told the protesters that it was unacceptable that protesters attack civil servants.
“Beating civil servants in the name of protest is against the law. You must desist from this act henceforth,” he warned.
Vanguard
