Kunle ADELABU
-Asks management to grant arrested union members a week leave for medical treatment
The Non-Academic Staff Union of the Lagos State Polytechnic, Ikorodu, has stated that the high handedness of the management of the institution and incarceration of 38 of its members in July are responsible for the death of one of the union leaders and ill health of others.
Comrade Sunday Victor Owolabi, one of the staff arrested and remanded for several days at the Ikoyi and Kirikiri prisons, died on Sunday, July 28, after illness.
Members are also alleging that some of the arrested unionists, especially Mrs Afolabi Abisola, are battling with ill health.
In a release signed by its Branch Secretary, Yemisi Olabisi, following the emergency congress of the union held on Wednesday, July 31, 2019, the union appealed to the Governing Council and Management of the institution to give those arrested and incarcerated a week off-duty to attend to their health.
In another release on Thursday, August 1, 2019, titled, ‘Another one of the 38 incarcerated staff members is seriously ill’, Comrade Semiu Akinlawon Fasasi raised alarm over the health of Mrs Abisola and also echoed the union’s appeal for a week off-duty for concerned staff members.
The union’s release sent to THE IMPACT read thus:
“Sequel to the sudden death of Comrade Sunday Victor OWOLABI on the 28th July, 2019, and the victimization of our members by Management through punitive postings, the Union held an Emergency Congress on the 30th July, 2019, and rose with the following Resolutions:
“The Congress blamed the untimely death of Late Comrade Sunday Victor OWOLABI on the brutality and high-handedness of the Mr. Samuel Oluyinka SOGUNRO-led Management. The Congress established that, the Late Comrade Owolabi actually lost his health during his incarceration at Ikoyi Prison which eventually led to his death on Sunday, 28th July, 2019, shortly after his release from prison.
“The Congress also resolved that the Management should allow the remaining thirty-seven (37) incarcerated staff members one (1) week off-duty to attend to their health to avert further casualty which may arise from their incarceration.
“Sequel to the sudden death of one of the thirty-eight (38) incarcerated staff members at Ikoyi and Kirikiri prisons which was directly linked to the deteriorated health conditions of the deceased, the Congress demand from the Management the immediate payment of witheld June and July 2019 salaries. to enable the affected staff members to take care of their health privately. This, we urge the Management to do at the same speed the Management released burial benefit for the dead.
“In as much as the Union/Congress is not against posting of staff members to any unit or campuse of the Polytechnic, the Congress viewed the timing of the current postings as ill motivated, direct victimization of our members as a result of their involvement in the just suspended industrial action and an attempt to deliberately make members incur higher cost of transportation and to further inflict economic hardship on the staff members; hence it was resolved that members should NOT resume at their new postings until the De-Migrated Salary done in January 2019 is reversed because till date, most members’ NET PAY is so small that it can not even cover the transportation cost to their respective new duty posts.
“The Congress further frowned at and viewed the timing of the current postings of staff members as a ploy by the Management to mutilate, distort and destroy facts, information and evidences ahead of the VISITATION PANEL.
“We shall be most obliged if the Management will in the interest of industrial peace and harmony give due attention and consider our positions and demands as worthy.
In his own release, Comrade Fasasi appealed to the management to grant the union’s request for medical leave for the staffers instead of claiming that the signatory of the release is one of the rusticated union members
“We have written the Rector and Chairman of the Governing Council as part of the resolutions of the Congress for Management to approve at least a week Private Medical Attention for the remaining thirty-seven (37) affected members; unfortunately, the Management was busy questioning that the signatory(who is the Secretary of the Union} of the Union’s Resolutions is one of the disengaged staff members.
“ The death of one of the incarcerated staff members (Late Comrade Sunday Victor OWOLABI) on the 28th of July, 2019, prompted our fears and request to the Management” .
He also appealed to the union members to intensify prayers for the quick recovery of sick members.
“Members should, please, intensify prayers for Mrs. Bisola Afolabi to get well soonest. May we never experience the death of anyone of us again. Amen”.
In chat with Mr Olanrewaju Kuye, the Deputy Registrar, Information & Publicity of the institution, he stated that the management would act on the letter when submitted for consideration.
He added that the union’s request for leave is statutory for staff members and any desired staff member should apply for it individually and not as union.
“If the letter is received, management will look at it. However, individual staff member, statutorily, should have applied for leave if desired and not through the union”, he stated.
