*The leadership of Workers and Students unions must
insist on a conducive working and learning condition before the commencement of
exams!
**No to
victimisation of any worker or student in the college for the democratic role
played in the course of the struggle!!
PRESS STATEMENT
The Education Rights Campaign (ERC), Moor plantation
branch, welcomes the entire students and workers in the Federal College of
Agriculture, FCA, Ibadan back on campus for a full commencement of both the
academic and administrative activities which were unnecessarily disrupted in
the college for over three months.
It must be recalled that the arbitrary disruption of
both the academic and administrative activities in the college was authored Dr
Babajide Adelekan, the provost of the college, on August 20, 2017 when he shut
down the college in fear of the planed students’ protest against poor
learning and living condition on campus. It was this arbitrary and unilateral
closure of the college that fueled the indefinite industrial action embarked
upon by the entire workers unions in the college under a joint platform dubbed
Joint Action committee, JAC.
The level of steadfastness and determination exhibited
by mass of students and the leadership of the students’ union in the college
are quite commendable, so also are members and leadership of the three workers
unions in the college. But beyond this commendation is also a need to
appreciate and salute the understanding of mass of workers in the college for
their decision to eventually suspend the over 6months industrial deadlock
mainly in the interest of mass of poor and innocent students.
However, while the academic and administrative
activities in the college have fully resumed since February 26, 2018, the poor
condition of working and living of both workers and students that formed the
background for the industrial crisis that lingered for over 6months is yet to
be resolved. Electricity supplies both in the hostel, workers offices including
laboratory continue to be epileptic as ever. There has not been adequate
supply of water in halls of residence and offices. Provision of items like
identity cards, log books, lab and farm coats which students were forced to pay
for are yet to be given to them while many course are yet to be accredited in
the college.
It is in the consideration of this deplorable
condition under which both the academic and administrative activities have
commenced in the college that ERC calls on both students and workers unions in
the college to insist on a conducive atmosphere of learning and working before
the school examination scheduled for the first week in April commences. ERC
suggest that a meeting of the leadership of workers and students with the
college administration will be necessary in this regard for an adequate
presentation of both the demands of students and workers in the college.
However,
ERC equally urges both the leadership of students and workers union not to lose
sight in calling a prior and independent congress of their respective unions so
as to have a full compilation of all areas of needs of workers and students
towards an elaborate presentation before the college administration.
Again, it has also come to our notice in ERC that the
Federal Ministry of Agriculture had recently issued query letters to the
leadership of the three staff unions in
the college for carrying out and defending
the democratic and collective decision of their members throughout the
course of the over 6month industrial deadlock in the college. ERC condemns the action of the ministry and
demands immediate and unconditional withdrawal of the said query letters. Such
query letter is undemocratic and unwarranted as it capable to plunge the
college to another round of avoidable industrial crisis.
Another
industrial dispute in the college at this material point in time will no doubt
be inimical and detrimental to mass of students in the college. It is with a
view to avert this that ERC calls on the leadership of the Students’ Union to
officially communicate with the necessary officers in the Federal Ministry of
Agriculture with a view to demand an immediate and unconditional withdrawal of
the queries so as to allow the fragile peace that just returned in the college
to endure.
To Join
ERC and participate in its activities contact the following numbers: 09057090894;
07037415636; 08033914091
Caleb o Caleb
Branch Secretary
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