From Priscilla Ediare, Ado-Ekiti
Some disenchanted Ekiti people, under the umbrella of ‘Aggrieved Sacked Workers’ (WAS), allegedly sacked by Governor John Kayode Fayemi shortly after he assumed office in 2018, have formed themselves into a powerful bloc to work against the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji in the June 18 election,
The workers, employed by the former People’s Democratic Party (PDP) administrations, but got laid off by Governor Fayemi, have pledged to work for the emergence of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate, Asiwaju Segun Oni, as the state governor in the election.
The group, led by Mrs. Falade Victoria and Mr. Oke Sanmi, has asserted in a protest letter it presented to the Ekiti Build Back Better’s (EBBB) Spokesman, Idowu Adelusi, that their members had been physically and psychologically brutalized, vowing to pay back the APC-led government and would ensure that Oyebanji, the APC governorship candidate, is defeated.
In a press statement issued by Adelusi in Ado Ekiti on Thursday, the group’s spokesman said apart from Falade and Sanmi, the letter was also signed by Mr. Owolabi Samuel, Mrs. Ojo Oluwakemi, Mr. Dada Adedayo, Mrs. Oke Oluwakemi Peters, Mr. Abioye Alaba Olayinka, Mrs. Jemialu Ronke and Mrs. Oluwayomi Tunde.
In the letter, entitled; “Stop Playing Politics With Our Life,” the WAS claimed that the workers who had been unjustly laid off by Governor Fayemi, were former staff of the Ekiti State University (EKSU), the state civil service, teaching and local government service commissions.
The group continued: “Some EKSU staff employed in 2016 were confirmed in 2018, promoted in 2019, but unlawfully disengaged by the university in 2019 on the instruction of Governor Fayemi.
“Similarly, all the 2,000 workers employed by the immediate-past PDP administration were relieved of their jobs immediately Governor Fayemi assumed office, apart from others who were either demoted, forced to retire or redeployed to inconvenient places on phantom allegations.
“We, the disengaged EKSU staff, subsequently, dragged the university authorities to the National Industrial Court (NIC) in Akure, got a judgment nullifying our sack, but the APC government has refused to obey the court judgment till date.
“The court, through the judge, Justice K. D. Damulak, had, on January 28, 2021, in suit No NCN/AK/06/2020, gave a declaration that the disengagement of all the named and unnamed claimants from their appointments via letters of 5th December, 2019 is illegal, null and void.
“An order reinstating all the named and unnamed claimants to their appointment or employment with the payment of their salaries and allowances from the date of the disengagement to the date of judgment and thereafter.
“An order directing the defendant to pay the claimants the three months salaries of the claims which remain unpaid by the defendant.
“These workers who have been treated like animal by the Fayemi-led administration are now being begged by the APC to vote for its candidate. Is that possible? We have not been able to feed our families. Some marriages have broken down and many families scattered.
“We don’t want to gamble and we appeal to all the Ekiti voters not to gamble. The Ekiti PDP as well has outlived its usefulness; it is now an abracadabra party that cannot be trusted again with power. We are going for Segun Oni who the generality of Ekiti people have preferred as their governor, due to his unsoiled name.
“Some of us have even died of hunger and sickness; yet, Governor Fayemi pretended not to see us. It is a slap on our face, if this same governor is now coming to tell us to vote for his candidate.
“Supposing we have all died before now; is it our corpses that he would call to vote for his candidate? Perhaps, the APC government forgot to understand that we have husbands, wives, children, dependants and family members who have been terribly injured by Fayemi and we are going to use our numerical strength to vote for Segun Oni and humiliate Fayemi and his candidate.”