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Though the Oyo State Joint Service Negotiating Councils (JNC) on Friday dissociated itself from the labour union’s protest over the state’s government intention to partner with private sector in the running of some schools in the state,
Labour unions in Oyo State are divided over what position in the protest against the state government’s intention to partner with private sector in the running of some public schools in the state.
The state’s Joint Service Negotiating Councils (JNC) on Friday dissociated itself from the labour union’s protest on Wednesday. In a statement by PSJNC’s Secretary, Comrade Dupe Adewoye on Friday, the Council noted that it was not carried along in the protest that led to the disruption of the stakeholders meeting organized by the government on Thursday.
It said:
“The disrupted stakeholders meeting would have been a good opportunity for all and sundry to express their views to enable government to take appropriate decision on a matter of this nature. We wish to advise government to intensify its efforts in public enlightenment to enable the people make the right choice.”
But two members of the Council – the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) and the National Association of Nigeria Nirses and Midwives – have distanced themselves from the position being taken by the JNC.
A statement by the nurses union’s secretary, Mr Akinfenwa A. O. said JNC statement was personal opinion of its leaders, not that of the entire union members of the JNC. It said the nurses’ union was in strong support of the Thursday protest.
It read:
“The attention of NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA NURSES & MIDWIVES has drawn to a press release by the State Chairman of JNC OYO STATE, Dissociating JNC from NLC Protest against Government plan to sell Sehools to private investors. We wish to state categorically as Statutory Member of JNC,that the Statement was personal opinion of the JNC’s chairman, because no meeting of JNC was called to discuss such development.
Seven leaders of the Oyo State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) were charged to court over the protest. They were remanded in prison on Friday pending perfection of their bail terms.
They were arraigned on charges bordering on destruction of government property and alleged assault of the state’s Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alh Ismail Ali.
