Ogun Sacked Workers Plead Gov. Abiodun For Reinstatement

Gov. Abiodun

Michael-Azeez Ogunsiji

ABEOKUTA - About 27 Civil Servants in Ogun State disengaged by the immediate past administration of Senator Ibikunle Amosun, have pleaded to the incumbent governor, Dapo Abiodun, to reinstate them into the service.

The affected workers, under the aegis of 'Ogun State Disengaged 2011 Workers Movement', made this appeal in a letter dated February 18, 2020 and signed by its chairman, Awolesi Samuel.

The disengaged workers in a 'Compassionate Appeal Letter addressed to the Office of the Governor through the Office of the Secretary to the State Government, was made available to newsmen on Thursday in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital. 

Awolesi in the letter said the workers were employed into the Civil Service of Ogun State in 2011 by the then outgoing governor, Gbenga Daniel, but were "verbally sacked" by the successive administration of Ibikunle Amosun. 

He added that the affected civil servants had worked for three months without pay before their appointments were summarily terminated without following any civil service procedures.

 Awolesi, who stated that efforts made to ensure their sack was reversed proved abortive, said some of his colleagues had died during the struggle to get them reinstated back into the service.

He, however, appealed to Abiodun to use his office to see to the reinstatement of the 2011 disengaged workers, just like the governor absorbed over one thousand workers employed by former Governor Amosun at the twilight of his administration in 2019.

"We have decided to write Your Excellency, over the decision of the former governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, who asked us to be laid off from our different offices shortly after he resumed office in 2011, without any official termination of our appointments.

"In our to bid to make our voices to be heard, some of us, as major bread winners, have lost their lives. This led us to start Ogun State Disengaged 2011 Workers Movement.

"We want to beg you, to please help us on our reinstatement into active service in Ogun State. Since our disengagement, we have been struggling to survive. We wish to thank Your Excellency for absorbing those five hundred and fifty seven teachers from community schools, as well as over one thousand workers via Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON) examination, employed towards the end of the last administration. 

"We, hereby, make passionately appeal that the same magnanimous gesture be extended to us as we are under the same condition since 2011".