Governor Ajimobi

GBENRO ADESINA/IBADAN

The Oyo State Chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC on Saturday demanded the immediately release of its chairman, Comrade Waheed Olojede and six others arrested by the state government led by Senator Abiola Ajimobi.

The union further charged the state government to withdraw the charges leveled against its against the labour leaders in the court of law stressing that the arrest and subsequent prosecution of the labour leaders is a plot to force labour unions to support the planned privatisation of secondary school education by Ajimobi-led administration.

In a press conference at the Agodi Ibadan union’s secretariat, the union treasurer, Comrade Bosun Daramola, said that the union’s leaders should not only be released from Agodi prison custody  but the government should immediately pay all the outstanding salaries and other arrears of workers in the state.

The police had allegedly on the instruction of Oyo State government, arrested Olojede and six others and arraigned them in court on Friday on a seven-count charge bordering on breach of public peace and damage of public property.

The Police alleged that members of NLC and other union members had on Wednesday disrupted a stakeholder meeting called by the Oyo State government to address issues on the proposed privatisation of selected secondary schools in the state.

The accused persons could not meet up with the bail conditions slammed on them by Chief Magistrate Jamiu Adebisi. The Judge had granted the labour leaders bail in the sum of N200,000 each.

They are also to provide two sureties in like sum with national identity card, work identity card, three years tax clearance certificate.

The accused persons  are currently cooling in the prison custody due to their inability to immediately meet the bail conditions.

In his speech, Daramola said, “The union was aware that the arrest, arraignment and incarceration of our union leaders was a deliberate gimmick of the Oyo State government to weaken the determination of the union to lead the entire suffering members of workers in the state.

“The union would like to inform the public and parents of students in public schools in the state that they remain resolute and no amount of arrest and prosecution of the union leaders would deter them from the struggle to rescue the public schools in the state from been sold.

“The public educational system in Oyo State and other part of the country is enmeshed in  crisis, characterized by inadequate facilities for proper learning.

“The union will continue to defend the economic rights of the Nigerians working masses and urge all individuals or religious organizations who may be interested in buying over the public schools to rescind the decision. We say Oyo public schools are not for sale”.

The union unequivocally demanded for proper and adequate funding of the education sector including payment of living wages and other incentive for educational workers and likewise the immediate payment of six months outstanding salaries and pension arrears.