Ondo electricity workers protest non-regularisation of staff

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Workers of the Ondo State Electricity Board on Monday protested against the alleged failure of the state government to regularise the appointments of long-serving temporary staff.

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The protesters shut down activities at the board’s headquarters in Akure, the state capital, for several hours, preventing workers from accessing their offices.

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They also opposed the alleged planned removal of the board’s General Manager, Ogunmakinwa Olabanji, while demanding the regularisation of temporary workers who they said had spent several years in service.

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The protesters carried placards with inscriptions including, “Enough is Enough,” “Our GM Must Stay,” “Say No to Political Gladiators,” “No to Victimisation,” “No to Oppression” and “No to Injustice.”

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They also called for improved welfare for temporary staff, some of whom they claimed earn as little as N15,000 monthly.

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The workers accused unnamed government officials of frustrating efforts to regularise the appointments of temporary staff and alleged that there was a plan to remove the general manager.

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Speaking during the protest, the State General Chairman of the Senior Civil Servants Association of Statutory Corporations and Government-Owned Companies, Adebayo Michael, questioned the alleged move to remove Olabanji, saying no official reason had been given to the workers.

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“Just suddenly, we heard the news that he should be removed. We then asked why. What are the conditions? What is his offence? Has any query been issued to him? Has any panel been set up? Has he been vindicated or not? Why must such a letter be sent to Mr Governor?” he asked.

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He said labour leaders had raised the issue during a meeting with the state Head of Service, expressing concern over what they described as attempts to replace the general manager.

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“As a matter of fact, we told the Head of Service that we cannot accept that. Our position has been made known across the board that nobody can send that man out,” he stated.

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Michael, however, described the protest as peaceful and intended to draw the authorities’ attention to the workers’ grievances.

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Also speaking, a labour leader at the electricity board, Olowolafe Isaac, expressed concern about the condition of temporary staff, saying some had spent years in service while earning N15,000 monthly.

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“These are part of our agitation and what we are fighting for. They are long-serving temporary staff. Some of them are being paid N15,000 in a month, and they work under rain and sun. They are very proactive,” he said.

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The protesters warned that further industrial action could follow if their demands, including the retention of the general manager and regularisation of temporary staff, were not addressed.

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