Ogun reinstates 12 sacked workers

Ogun State Government on Tuesday announced the recall of 12 out of 16 workers in the state public service recently dismissed.

The workers were accused of unethical conduct during this year’s Teachers’ Day celebration.

The Head of Service, Sola Adeyemi, made this known in a press statement, adding that the recalled workers had been directed to go back to work with effect from January 2, 2017.

“Government has also pardoned and directed all the 19 workers suspended in connection with their roles in the same celebration to resume at their duty posts with effect from December 1, 2016,” Mr. Adeyemi said.

Thirty five state workers were sanctioned on October 31 after a panel found them guilty of violating public service rules.

The Head of Service said, 19 of them were suspended while 16 were dismissed on the recommendations of the panel.

“Consequent upon this, government has been receiving appeals on behalf of the affected workers from the National and State leaderships of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC), the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), traditional rulers, elders, religious leaders, eminent personalities as well as the affected workers,” Mr. Adeyemi stated.

He said, following these interventions, the government decided to revisit the matter and consequently set up a machinery to carry out a case-by-case evaluation of the affected workers.

He said the government pardoned 31 workers, while four others remained fired while further investigations were ongoing.

“Let me state at this juncture that cases of the other remaining four dismissed workers, including Messrs Dare Ilekoya, Eniola Atiku, Nola Balogun and Akeem Ambali are still undergoing evaluation and assure you that government will come out with the conclusion in their cases in due course,” Mr. Adeyemi said.