In what could be described as 2018 Democracy Day gift, Edo State government has sacked the entire staff of the state- owned College of Agriculture, Iguoriakhi in Ovia North-East Local Government Area of the state.
The 37 years old institution was established by the civilian administration of late Ambrose Ali in 1981, closed by the military governors and reopened by the Lucky Igbinedion administration in 2001.
The school charged with the responsibility of offering Ordinary Diploma and Higher National Diploma in Agricultural Technology, Animal Science, Crop Science, Agricultural Extension and Management temporarily closed on August 2017 by the Godwin Obaseki-led government with a promise to revamping the institution.
Offering reason for the closure in August 2017, Obaseki had August 2017, said the college had poor standard.
“I shut down the school to enable me invest money and bring it up to standard. I will revamp the school so that the graduates will be employable”, the governor said in 2017.
He said he is in talks with Okomu Oil Palm Company Plc, Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research (NIFOR) and PRESCO Plc., to join hands with his administration to revamp the school, help train students and provide them with employment.
“I will provide allowance to the 261 students in the school and send them to farms for industrial training,” he had promised.
The state government in a letter signed by Monday Osaigbovo, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, dated May 25, 2018 to all the staff announced the termination of their appointments.
The letter titled, “Restructuring of the College of Agriculture, Iguoriakhi”, the commissioner said following the restructuring of the college and subsequent closure, government has decided to terminate their services with effect from January 31, 2018.
“You are requested to handover all government properties in your possession to the permanent secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources immediately.
“Furthermore, I am to add that in line with your terms of engagement, your cheque for January 2018, monthly salary with one month in lieu of notice is herewith attached”, he said.
The staff in a peaceful protest to the palace of the Oba of Benin said their sacking did not followed due process.
They said over 400 staff in the nominal pay roll of the institution including the provost were affected by the sack.
The staff also dropped a copy of their protest letter titled, “Special letter for your intervention into the massive sack of all staff of Edo State College of Agriculture, Iguoriakhi” in the State House of Assembly for onward transmission to the Speaker of the House.
They decried that there was no consultation with staff of the institution on the restructuring process and option of redeployment of staff to other ministries or institutions before the massive sack letters were issued to them.
“The governor did not follow due process in relieving us of our duties and this contravenes the provisions of public service rules.
“By record of service, majority of the staff had put up to a minimum of ten years in service while others had put in almost 20 years and that since the governor visited the school on August 7, 2017 and its subsequent temporary closure till date, there is no evidence of any form of infrastructure or administrative restructuring by the governor as against the six months he promised during his visit”, the staff stated.
IDRIS UMAR MOMOH, BENIN
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