Edo State governor Godwin Obaseki has doused mounting tension at the state-owned Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, by directing the management to reverse and retrieve all recent illegal disengagement letters issued to staff of the institution.
His order followed a sack letter that went viral on social media on Tuesday on the sack of 22 staff of the institution.
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The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) of the institution, Dr Cyril Onogbosele in a reaction alleged that the move was part of attempts to stop the staff members from demanding what is due to them.
He stated that those who were not due for retirement were included in the list, wondering where that is done in the workplace.
But the governor insisted that the sack notices said to have been issued earlier to some staff of the university are illegal, null and void.
The governor’s directive was contained in a statement issued yesterday by the special adviser to the governor on media project Crusoe Osagie, and expressed the government commitment to staff welfare.
“The management is to retrieve any such illegal letters if they were ever issued and reinstate the affected staff.
“The governor has ordered an in-depth investigation into what led to the sporadic issuance of illegal sack letters and assured that all found culpable will be brought to book.
“The government reiterates its commitment to the welfare of staff and is working to address all lingering issues affecting workers at the state-owned institution,” he said.
Also, the public relations officer of the AAU, Ekpoma, Lawrence Isiraojie, said no worker had been sacked as being circulated in the social media.
“The information circulating around, Ambrose Alli University has not sacked those workers they have listed on the paper circulating round the social media.
“It is just that a staff (member) of the Department of Economics was disengaged last Friday and another professor from the Department of Modern languages was retired.
“Those are only the two individuals that are affected last week Friday. I am currently still in the office; we have not sacked anybody and those briefing they are giving is not a true reflection in Ambrose Alli University.”