Protesting Oyo State government workers resorted to violence when they stormed the state secretariat on second day of their protest, beating civil servants who refused to join the protest.
The protesters from various ministries which include judiciary, parastatals and other agencies beat up other workers, forced them out, disrupting activities in government offices for several hours and locked some in their offices.
The strike called by the Nigeria Labor Congress NLC began on Monday, following their demands for payment of leave bonus, payment of gratuities to retirees who have been stagnated since the year 2021 and release of promotion letters for the Year 2021 and 2022.
The protesters blocked the entrance to the government secretariat for the second time over the failure of Governor ‘Seyi Makinde to meet and dialogue with them.
This is their first attempt to press home their demand for payment of their deductions, allowances, among other struggles, since the inauguration of the governor in 2019.
The protesters carried sticks, sang songs and disrupted vehicular movement.
A worker who was manhandled, Dare Olaniyan, was wounded
Olaniyan, a staff of the state’s Ministry of Information and Orientation, said he was beaten by some of the protesters, despite identifying himself to them.
He said: “I came inside Secretariat presmises to pick my belongings, in the office. All attempts to explain this to the protesters fell on deaf ears, as they launched an attack on me, for no just cause.”
“But rather than settling the issue amicably, the NLC members decided to go physical, engaging me and others with me in a fight,” he said.
It took the intervention of the \ Executive Assistant to the Governor on Security, CP Sunday Odukoya (rtd) who drove to the scene to stop them immediately.
Mr. Odukoya then told the protesters that it was unacceptable that protesters attack civil servants.
“Beating civil servants in the name of protest is against the law. You must desist from this act henceforth,” he warned.
