Aregbesola drags lecturers to court over 10-month strike

Osun State Government has dragged lecturers in the state owned tertiary institutions to the Industrial Court for embarking on an industrial action running to ten months.

The state government also alleged that the Labour Union is illegal as the association was not registered under the law.

Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Governor State of Osun

The lecturers have however insisted that they would not resume despite being dragged to court by the Government until their demands were met.

According to the court summon presented to the striking lecturers under the Council of Academic Staff Union of Osun State Owned Tertiary Institutions, the State Government claimed that their industrial action was not according to law.

Speaking, counsel to the State Government, Mr. Wale Afolabi said before filling the case at an Ibadan Industrial Court, a letter had been written to the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity to confirm if CASUOSTI was duly registered as a union under it.

While noting that the proceedings on the case would commence early next week, Mr. Afolabi urged the striking lecturers to call off their strike without delay.

But rising from their Southwest Zonal Executive meeting held at the Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, the lecturers said with the new step taken by the State Government, they are fully ready to appear in court as the last hope of the common man.

Speaking, the Public Relations Officer of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, Zone C, Dr. Sola Ojeniyi said it was unfortunate that government was pretending not to recognise the union it had been negotiating and signing agreements with in the past years.

Also, Lagos State Polytechnic ASUP Chairperson, Mrs Biola Akinkugbe said since the court would listen to both parties before giving judgment,,the union was fully ready.

While calling on the managements of all the institutions not to interfere in the matter by trying to coax the staff to resume, Mrs. Akinkugbe said the union was not happy with the government on the new development.