Nigeria Content Online

The Oyo State
governor, Adebayo Alao-Akala, on Wednesday condemned the recent strike
by the state chapter of the National Union of Teachers (NUT).

Describing the
strike as unreasonable, Mr Akala, while speaking to correspondents at
the Murtala Mohammed Airport 2 (MMA2), Lagos said that the employees
are aware that they will go back to their job, but still went ahead
with the industrial action.

“The only thing is
that we should try as much as possible to be reasonable in this
country,” he said. “You (workers) know you are going to come back to
work, why do you have to suffer our children for no just cause?”

Two months ago,
primary and post primary school teachers in Oyo State embarked on an
industrial action, which lasted for seven weeks following agitations by
the workers for the implementation 27.7 per cent of enhanced Teachers
Salary Scale (TSS).

The strike was, nevertheless, called off on Tuesday after the state government responded to the yearnings of the teachers.

Mr Akala, however, expressed satisfaction with the teachers’ resolve to end the strike.

“But we thank God that they (teachers) are back. We have given them what they want,” he said.

Meanwhile, the
governor also talked about the recent ban of the state chapter of the
National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) will bring a lasting
solution to the protracted crisis bedevilling the leadership of the
association.

Mr Akala declined
commenting on the developments after the proscription of the union by
his government, stressing that he does not care about whoever is not
comfortable with the ban.

“What I know is
that I’ve banned activities of NURTW in my state and that is all. I am
not interested in who is who; let them go and meet their national
leaders,” he said.

On August 8, Dotun
Oyelade, special adviser to governor Akala, in a statement, announced
the proscription of the union following series of crisis in the
management of the association, adding that all corporate activities
undertaken by the union in the state were hitherto suspended.

Condemning the
fracas in the union and the loss which it has cost the State, the Oyo
helmsman maintained that ‘lasting’ peace and quiet will be returned to
the association following the ban.

“It (the ban) will bring solution,” he said. “When they (union
leaders) are no more in power, that will be the lasting solution to the
crisis in the state.”