Hundreds of protesting residents of Ekpoma have shut Ambrose Alli University (AAU), over the sack of 22 workers and poor administration, despite Governor Godwin Obaseki disclaiming the disengagement letters.
The protesters, who yesterday carried placards, called on Edo State Government to sack a member of AAU’s Special Intervention Team (SIT) over alleged highhandedness and insensitivity.
Displeased residents, who declined to give their names, for fear of victimisation, urged Obaseki to find a solution to the problems facing the university, which they said were capable of throwing the ancient town into chaos.
Obaseki, on Tuesday night, disclaimed disengagement letters to the workers, describing their sack as illegal, null and void.
Edo governor, through his Special Adviser on Media Projects, Crusoe Osagie, noted that investigation of the issue had been ordered, with swift action to be taken on anyone found culpable.
Osagie said: “The governor maintains that his administration’s commitment to workers’ welfare in the university remains sacrosanct and he has not sanctioned the action.”
“Edo government assures people that it upholds the interest of the state university’s workers and will continue to position Edo as a suitable place to live and work.”
Chairman of AAU, Ekpoma chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Dr. Cyril Onogbosele, said the inhumane, senseless and reckless sack of many workers, mostly lecturers, was part of attempts by Edo government and the university management to suppress the employees from demanding benefits that were due to them.
He expressed displeasure that many workers, who were not due for retirement, were included on the list of sacked workers.
Onogbosele hinted that the list of AAU employees to be laid off would rise to 90, based on feelers from the management.
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