Lagos poly workers, APC members protest

Members of the Senior Staff Association of the Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH) yesterday protested against military attack on their colleagues.

Also, yesterday, aggrieved members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) protested against alleged imposition of candidates at the recently held APC primaries in the state.

They carried anti-government placards with various inscriptions to express their dissatisfaction.

They were, however, prevented by the police from gaining access into the secretariat complex.

Addressing the protesters, the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Mudasiru Obasa, condemned the alleged military attack on the workers and promised to investigate the allegation.

He said: “Our institution is not meant for military, since tertiary institutions in Lagos are expected to be manned by security personnel and not officers of the Nigerian army.

“We expect that whenever there is any crisis, the police are in the best position to address it, not soldiers. We will work swiftly on the issue to ensure that the crisis rocking the institution is quickly resolved.”

He urged the aggrieved APC members to be law-abiding in their demands. He acknowledged that the candidate who emerged from his constituency was also not the popular candidate.

The institution’s Chairman, Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Akinrinlola Ibitoye, had condemned the attack by military officers on the association’s welfare officer, Adewunmi Olorunfemi and his wife.

The workers also urged Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to compel the institution’s Rector, Mr. Oluyinka Sogunro to immediately pay them their 87 months’ salary arrears.

According to them, they have been denied their entitlement, despite the increase of the institution’s monthly subvention from N153 million to N210 million by the state government.

Ibitoye added that rather than paying the workers, the rector allegedly beefed up the security by purchasing N10 million worth of arms and ammunition. He also hired 50 armed soldiers and 20 members of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC).

He explained that meetings held by the school’s academic and non-academic staff with the Special Adviser to the State Governor on Education, Mr. Obafela Bank-Olemoh, the Chairman of the institutions governing council, Prof. Tajudeeen Gbadamosi and the rector yielded no result.