Outrage greeted the abstract dismissal from service of 5 major college lecturers in Enugu State for allegedly complaining to Governor Peter Mbah concerning the non-payment of the N30,000 minimal wage to major college lecturers.
The Guardian gathered that greater than 5 years after the nationwide minimal wage was accredited, major college lecturers in Enugu state haven’t benefited from it. That is because the wage had since been applied in different cadres of the civil service.
Not ready to proceed to die in silence, the 5 major college lecturers had just lately summoned braveness and sought an viewers with Governor Mbah who allegedly complained concerning the non-payment of the minimal wage to major college lecturers amongst different points.
Mbah had just lately accredited the fee of the minimal wage to the lecturers which was mirrored of their February 2024 wage that elicited wild jubilations.
Nonetheless, whereas the remainder of the lecturers affected by the approval are relishing in pleasure, the 5 lecturers who braved the chances to struggle the implementation are reeling in ache as their jobs have now been severed by the State Primary Training Board (ENSUBEB).
The ENSUBEB within the letter dismissing the 5 lecturers had thought of their motion “a critical offence in opposition to the provisions of the Public Service Guidelines”, stressing that their motion was additionally “a humiliation to the Board and unbecoming of a public officer”.
One of many letters noticed by the Guardian signed by Mrs Ugwu Evelyn on behalf of the Government Chairman of the fee, Gabriel Ajah, additional accused the affected lecturers of absence from responsibility with no written permission; breach of communication channels within the public service; insubordination and contravention of provisions of public service guidelines by partaking in critical acts of misconducts.
The letter said that the choice to sack the lecturers was a part of the resolutions of the ENSUBEB full board assembly held on March 5. It added that their dismissals took impact, March 1, 2024 and urged them to handover all authorities property of their possession to their head lecturers “inside 24 hours of receipt of this letter”.
Condemning the motion of the board, a Civil Rights Advocate, James Ogbonna said that there was no justification to warrant the punishment of the 5 lecturers for complaining about their minimal wage.
“I don’t see any justification in what the state authorities has accomplished. How will you simply get up and sack any individual as a result of he/she went to the governor who after all is the daddy of the state to complain about points regarding him/her? The governor opened his door to them, listened to them and felt there was one thing he may do and he did.
“You by no means queried the lecturers, you by no means arrange a panel to attempt them, they didn’t steal however simply because they complained. We’re not in a army period the place individuals shouldn’t voice their grievances. The state authorities ought to rescind this choice and cease placing the lives of harmless individuals at risk”, he said.
In the meantime, the state chapter of the Nigeria Union of Academics (NUT) yesterday distanced themselves from any deliberate protest in opposition to the state authorities on the event.
State Chairman of the NUT, Theophilus Nweke, advised reporters that it was unconscionable for anybody to consider embarking on any type of protest in opposition to the state governor, whom he mentioned had demonstrated readiness to confront their challenges.
He had expressed shock that, “not one of the dismissed lecturers sought his opinion nor that of the management of ENSUBEB earlier than finishing up any of their actions.
“The five-point requests we made to the governor are receiving ample consideration, 4 have already been applied and the fifth one is underway, subsequently, solely them can clarify the explanations for his or her motion.”
He suggested the lecturers to reciprocate the governor’s gesture by being devoted to their duties and never have interaction in any frivolities or make themselves keen instruments for any particular person or group searching for low-cost reputation.
