Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, said on Monday he has pardoned workers dismissed from the state’s civil service for acts that were in flagrant disregard of the civil service rules, but quickly added that the chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in the state, Akeem Ambali, was not among the beneficiaries of the clemency.
Those pardoned are Messrs Dare Ilekoya, Eniola Atiku and Nola Balogun.
Amosun, who made this known in his address at a ceremony to mark the Workers’ Day, said the pardon does not apply to Ambali, because unlike the other three, he had approached the law court to challenge his dismissal from the civil service.
The governor said the state government would wait for the outcome of the litigation in order not to be seen to have taken any action on a matter that is already before a court of competent jurisdiction.
Amosun said he decided to pardon Ilekoya, Atiku and Balogun because of the mediatory roles played by the National leadership of the labour unions, particularly the Comrade Michael Alogba-led National Union of Teachers (NUT), the national leadership of the NLC, Trade Union Congress (TUC), former President Olusegun Obasanjo and traditional rulers across the state.
He said, “The dismissed workers are pardoned, they will now proceed on retirement from the public service with full terminal benefits in accordance with the extant public service regulations.
“The pardon does not apply to Mr. Akeem Ambali because, unlike the other three, he had approached the law court to challenge his dismissal from the civil service.
“While all parties await the outcome of litigation, as a responsible and law-abiding administration, we cannot be seen to have taken any action on a matter that is already before a court of competent jurisdiction.”
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