Finally, Ekiti Varsity Recalls Sacked Workers After 3 Years

By Ayodele Oni

At last the management of Ekiti state University, (EKSU), has reinstated workers sacked three years ago from the institution.
With the development, the state owned ivory tower has finally bowed to months of pressure from the workers union.

The sacked workers that have started receiving their letters of reinstatement had their appointments terminated on the orders of the university’s governing council.

At the inception of Governor Kayode Fayemi’s administration, government set up a committee to look into the over-bloated wage bill of the institution, to the extent that the subvention could no longer cover the wage bill.

The committee found out that new workers were massively recruited into the university during the past administration of former Governor Ayodele Fayose and Prof Joseph Bandele as the vice chancellor.

The committee also discovered that some staff had overstayed and become almost redundant to the university.

The governing council thereafter approved a downsizing to enable the institution survived and continued with its programmes.

The Governor elect of the state, Biodun Abayomi who was secretary to the state government then, represented government at the council.

The workers challenged their sack at the industrial court and won but the state government appealed against the judgement and the appellate court again ruled in the workers’ favour.

Despite the judicial victory, the state government did not recall the workers, some of whom have now died of various ailments.

The issue became an albatross to the state government during the campaigns for the governorship election, especially for the ruling All Progressive Congress, (APC) and its candidate.

The workers heave sigh of relief as letters of reinstatement were being distributed to them since last week thus ending their three years of despondency and hunger.

This was confirmed by the chairman of the Senior Staff Association of of Nigeria Universities (SSANU) Azeez Aguda who said the workers who could not hide their feelings were seen in joyful mood after their letters were handed over to them.

The university, according to the judgement of the Industrial Court, will have to pay the reinstated workers their entitlements during their stay at home.