Kunle ADELABU
Former Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Ikorodu Local Government branch and a female political leader in Ikorodu , Comrade Kehinde Okeowo, has called on the Lagos State government and stakeholders in Ikorodu to ensure that the lingering crisis between the management and unions in Lagos State Polytechnic is quickly resolved.
The unionist and community leader made this appeal while speaking with THE IMPACT on Thursday, July 4, 2019, during the protest by the students of the institution to the State House and Lagos State House of Assembly.
She also expressed her disappointment over the failure of stakeholders in Ikorodu division to intervene in the crisis and find solution to it before it degenerated.
“As a senior Comrade and community activist, I know that there are many ways of conflict resolution and management but despite this, why is it difficult for the government, which owns the school, and the management to explore the ways in finding solutions to the problems”, she quarried.
“How can the Rector, Registrar and entire Management of the institution operated outside away the campus for over six months and everybody pretended as if everything is going on well? “.
She also deplored the Rector’s attitude over his refusal to honour the recommendations of the committee on CONTISS 15 Migration Scheme, which he allegedly headed while he was the Deputy Rector (Administration), when he became the Rector of the institution.
“How can Mr. Samuel Sogunro (Rector) led a committee that recommended migration for the staff members and also requested for upgraded subvention to enable the institution pay the new salary raise when he was a Deputy Rector and now that he’s the Rector and with increment in subvention from the state government, he’s refusing to pay and also telling telling different stories to justify his actions”.
Comrade Okeowo appealed to the management of LASPOTECH to reconsider its stance on the migration crisis, stating that the striking staff members have suffered enougt.
“Is this not the same LASPOTECH that was once headed by Mr. Babatunde Iginla, Princess Kosoko and other progressives in the past?
“Please, let our conscience judge us to do the needful. The Rector and his management team should know that an hungry man is an angry man. These people have suffered enough. An injury to one, is an injury to all”, she stated.
She also called on the Lagos State House of Assembly to release the recommendations by the committee it set up to look into the crisis.
“The last I heard from the union leaders on the matter was that a committee was set up by the House of Assembly and that they and the Management appeared before the committee. We are awaiting the recommendations of that committee on the crisis”.
