Crisis looms as varsity sacks 800 workers

Daily Trust on Sunday gathered that crisis looms in Ekiti State University following the recent disengagement of about 800 workers by the university’s administration.

The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, called on the Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi to intervene immediately to prevent industrial disharmony that could affect smooth academic transition in the university.

In a statement by SSANU through its National Publicity Secretary Abdussobur Salaam which was made available to Daily Trust on Sunday said the termination of the appointment of the workers did not follow the due process.

The union, however, alleged that the sacked workers were never invited to present their credentials or state their cases before any competent management or council committee.

According to the statement, “The National leadership of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities has just been appraised of the recent happenings at Ekiti State University where a number of staff numbering between 600 and 800 were said to have been laid off by the Council of that University.”

“We note that whereas other universities and organisations are using the December/yuletide period to provide relief packages and end of year bonuses to their workers, the administration of the Ekiti State University has chosen to use this period to order the termination of appointments of that large number of workers for unfathomable and unfortunate reasons.

“From the information available to us, the procedure for the termination of the appointments of these staff did not follow the standard and laid down processes as provided for in the University rule books and as obtainable from best practices all over the world.

The union added that none of the disengaged members of staff were invited present their cases before any competent management.

It said that, “To wit, no investigation committees, no staff audit or verification committees were formed. The staff were never invited to make themselves available to present their credentials or state their cases before any competent Management or Council Committee.

“The Council rather relied on the report of a Consultant hired for that purpose, to terminate the appointments of these workers.”

According to the statement, ”It is also worthy to note that these staff, some of whom have been in the service of the University for decades and have risen to the pinnacle of their careers, were employed through the due processes of advertisements, application, shortlisting, interviews and approval by Council as required by law. Not a few of them have been confirmed and even promoted subsequently.

“We also invite the Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Fayemi to intervene in a brewing matter which portends grave dangers for industrial peace not only in the University but in the entire State and by extension, the entire University system.”