Kogi: Governor Bello bans trade union activities in state-owned tertiary institutions

Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, has banned the activities of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of Trade Unions of Tertiary Institutions and all other forms of unionism in the state-owned tertiary institutions.

Bello made this known in a statement issued by the state government on Wednesday.

The governor said he respects the rights of all citizens to responsibly associate and pursue their welfare within the ambits of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the laws of the state, the rights of other citizens and the general norms of a democratic society.

Bello added that he respects the rights of labour unions in relation to the responsibilities of the owners and proprietors of tertiary academic institutions.

He, however, accused the unions in the state-owned tertiary institutions of impeding the government’s efforts to carry out holistic reforms of the civil service through their “unjustified and unjustifiable industrial actions.”

The statement reads in part: “The branch of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of Trade Unions of Tertiary Institutions Owned by Kogi State in Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja, has proceeded on yet another strike for alleged non-payment of salaries and emoluments irrespective of clear evidence of Government’s good faith and efforts contradicting JAC’s position.

“Evidence of massive embezzlement of the Kogi State Polytechnic’s earnings in excess of N157m committed under JAC’s nose and government’s efforts to bring the fraudsters to justice have not persuaded JAC to work with government to resolve all extant issues bedevilling the institution’s cash flow.”

It added that “the strike has grounded academic activities to a halt and thrown students out of their classrooms into an uncertain fate.

“The government finds the strike in Kogi State Polytechnic unacceptable and consequently declared all activities of the JAC of trade unions of tertiary institutions owned by Kogi State, as well as all forms of unionism in its tertiary institutions, banned forthwith.”

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