• Union begs Amosun over dismissed teachers

Three persons were wounded yesterday and two arrested and detained, following outbreak of violence in elections into the Ekiti State Executive Council of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT).

The victims, who were delegates drawn from some primary and secondary schools across the state, were said to have been arrested after being allegedly beaten by men of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and Department of State Security (DSS).

Addressing journalists after the chaos, a contestant, Mr. Lucas Adu, said those arrested were in the custody of the DSS while the injured have been taken to Ekiti State University Teaching hospital for treatment.
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The aggrieved candidate said the NUT electoral body was about to start the election when some of his supporters had queried the rationale behind the choosing of the delegates.

He accused the outgoing chairman, Mr. Samuel Akosile of inviting the DSS and NSCDC, who chased them out of the election venue.

Adu said the security men shot sporadically into the air to scare them, with some members sustaining injury in the ensuing melee.

Adu accused the outgoing chairman, Samuel Akosile and the NUT Secretary, Mr. Olugbenga Ajibade of shortchanging a faction, operating under the banner of Progressive Group of NUT by allegedly doctoring the delegate list to favour another contestant Segun Odugbesan.

He said the group had in a petition dated October 25 and signed by one Mr. Adeparusi S.T. and addressed to the NUT headquarters in Abuja, complained about the lopsidedness and nothing was done to correct the perceived infraction.

Adu said: “We want outright cancellation of this election.

He said some of their wounded members have been taken to Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH) in Ado Ekiti for treatment

But the state secretary of the union denied the allegation, saying delegate list was not doctored. He maintained that the delegates were carefully chosen in line with the constitution and based on financial strength of the local governments.

Ajibade also said nobody was beaten, insisting security men were only there to maintain law and order.

In Ogun State, the National President of the NUT, Michael Olukoya has appealed to Governor Ibikunle Amosun to reinstate the 16 dismissed and 19 suspended workers.

The dismissed officers, including the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and NUT Chairmen, Comrade Akeem Ambali and Comrade Dare Ilekoya respectively were said to have made political commentaries among others, during the celebration of the “World Teachers Day” in Abeokuta on Wednesday, October 5 contrary to the civil service law and regulations.