The Academic Staff Union of Universities, Ekiti State University
chapter, on Monday, protested against the kidnap of some of
its members .
The protest took place just as the Inspector-General of
Police, Solomon Arase, promised to dispatch a rapid
response squad to check kidnappings in the state.
But the protesting EKSU teachers, who gave a five-day
ultimatum to the state government to secure the release of
their colleagues from the kidnappers’ den , vowed to go on
an indefinite strike if their call was not heeded.
They said that five of their colleagues were kidnapped at
various locations in the state within two weeks out of which
two had been freed to go and look for N210m ransom for the
release of the others.
A lecturer at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Femi
Omisore; Folasade Alade of EKSU and Kikelomo
Adegun, wife of the former Chief Medical Director of the EKSU
Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti are those in the kidnappers’ den.
The protesting university teachers carried placards with
various inscriptions like “ASUU say no to kidnapping,”
“Kidnapping is a crime against humanity,” “ASUU demands
unconditional release of its members “ and “Ensure safety of
lives and property.”
They started the protest from the EKSU Teaching Hospital
before moving to the palace of the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti where
they were addressed by Oba Rufus Adejugbe and members of
his council.
The lecturers were led by the Chairman of the EKSU
chapter of ASUU , Olufayo Olu-Olu; the chairman OAU
chapter, Caleb Aborisade and the chairman of the Federal
University of Technology, Akure chapter, Bola Oniya.
After being addressed at the palace, they moved to the
Governor’s office where they were received by the Deputy
Governor, Kolapo Olusola.
At the governor’s office, they expressed worry that kidnappers
had been making them and health workers their targets.
The lecturers urged the government to do all within its powers
to rescue the state from sliding into anarchy.
Olu-Olu said, “This is the same way Boko Haram started in
the North. It started like a child’s play but today, a visit to
the North would show the level of callousness and damage
the sect has done to the system.
“On this premise, the government must act fast and stop this
nonsense.
“These kidnappers erroneously think our members are rich;
but they do not know that we have not received salaries in
EKSU since March, 2015. Three of our members are still being
held and they are demanding for N70m on each of them.
“Our fear is that, immediately these people realise that we are
not rich, they may decide to waste those that they are still
holding.
“We are therefore pleading with Governor (Ayodele) Fayose to
act fast because it seems the police and the DSS have no
clue to how the victims can be saved.”
The deputy governor told the protesters that Fayose had
gone to Abuja to meet Arase over the development.
He engaged them in an open prayer for the release of those
still being held by the kidnappers.
Olusola said, “It is very unfortunate that this is happening at
this critical time. This issue is not whether those that were
kidnapped were rich or poor, kidnapping is a crime to a
society. This singular act is capable of scaring away investors
from Ekiti State.
“Fayose’s government has written to the IG to intervene in
this matter. Mr. Governor himself has gone to Abuja to meet
him personally to discuss this issue.
“We appeal to you not to withdraw your services because
such may heighten the tension that had already mounted. But
all we need now is for all of us to turn ourselves into security
experts by extracting every useful information that we can
give to the security agencies to be able to arrest the
situation.”
No comments:
Post a Comment