Kunle ADELABU
-NASU denies attacking JAMB officials
Mr Samuel Sogunro, Rector, LASPOTECH and Comrade Semiu Fasasi, NASU Chairman
The management of the Lagos State Polytechnic, Ikorodu main campus, has apologized to the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), the Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, and the officials of the examination board who were allegedly attacked on the institution’s premises.
The victim were allegedly attacked by the protesting members of the non-teaching staff union of the Polytechnic on Friday, March 29, 2019.
In a release titled, “Molestation of JAMB Officials by LASPOTECH Non-Academic Staff” and signed by the Deputy Registrar ( Information & Public Relations), Lagos State Polytechnic, Mr Olanrewaju Kuye, the institution also stated that it is already looking into the matter with the police and those found wanting will be made to face the law.
The release states thus:
“The Lagos State Polytechnic Management is aware of the ugly incident of molestation of two JAMB Officials who were on official assignment to the Ikorodu campus of the Polytechnic and the Polytechnic’s Director of ICT on Friday, 29th March, 2019, by some non-teaching staff members of the Polytechnic.
“While the Polytechnic condemns this act of barbarism, we are using this medium to assure the Registrar of JAMB and indeed, the entire Nigerians that the Lagos State Government and the Polytechnic management are already addressing the issue and that the Police is on top of the matter.
“All those involved are definitely going to face the full wrath of the law.
“We, therefore, deeply apologise to the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, the Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede and the attacked officials for this unwarranted assault on innocent staff by the members of the non teaching staff of the Polytechnic”.
Meanwhile, in another notice to all members of staff, signed by the institution’s Registrar, the management directed that all staff members must resume work.
The notice also states that the Office of the Registrar of the institution will open attendance register in all service units/departments which must be signed by members.
“… Council at its meeting, held on Wednesday 27th March 2019, has, however, directed that all members of staff, in particular non-teaching staff members, should report for duty as from Monday, 1st April 2019, failure of which monthly salaries will not be paid to defaulting staff members starting from April 2019, in accordance with the provision of section 43 (1) of the Trade Dispute Act.
“To this end, attendance register will be opened and should be signed by all staff members on a daily basis in all service Units/Departments”.
When contacted on the matter, Comrade Semiu Akinlawon Fasasi, Chairman, NASU, LASPOTECH branch, described the allegation against the union over the attack on JAMB officials as frivolous and also described the release by the institution ordering them to resume work as fake.
In an online chat with THE IMPACT , Mr Fasasi stated that :
“In fact, it’s unfortunate that the kind of Management officials that we have in LASPOTECH lacks integrity for them to have made such frivolous allegations. Why on earth were lies of this magnitude are being told? I have never read this type of fake news in my life”.
He denied that his members attacked JAMB officials. The NASU Chairman, however, admitted that the union engaged the Dean of Students Affairs, whom he alleged of coming into the institution’s premises with armed policemen, and the Director of the Institution’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
“No JAMB officials was engaged on the said Monday by members of our union. It was only Engr.Yaqub Bankole, Dean of Students Affairs, who brought armed Policemen into the campus to intimidate the striking workers, that we engaged last Friday and we insisted that he must go out of the Campus with the Policemen.
“We also engaged another Management staff, Dr. Sikiru Adegoke, Director, ICT, whom we insisted should not be in the office and was led out of the ICT Centre and escorted to the First Gate. I really do not know the JAMB officials they are talking about. I was perplexed when I heard the news “.
On the directive that staff members of the institution must resume work failure of which the management will withhold the salary of any defaulting staff, Comrade Fasasi described the directive as intimidation by the management and insisted that Sogunro-led management must go.
“This further confirms the kind of leadership we have as Management in Lagos State Polytechnic, there are unresolved issues that led to the industrial unrest and they are still there unresolved.
“We are really not perturbed by the AUTOCRATIC and TYRANNICAL styles of the Sogunro-led Management. We are used to it. What they want is physical confrontation with the workers and they are not mindful of the consequences.
“We would not be intimidated by their threat as the Rector has always bragged that he has the approval of His Excellency, Governor Akinwumi Ambode to sack as many workers as possible.
“On our mandate we stand. The Sogunro-led Management must go. No Retreat No Surrender!”, Fasasi insisted.
