Protesting members of the Nigeria Labour Congress in Oyo State on Tuesday stormed the state secretariat on the second day of their protest, beating civil servants who refused to join the ongoing protest in the state.
Vanguard reported that the protesting NLC members are from various ministries, which include judiciary, parastatals and other agencies.
Civil servants were beaten up by the protesters under the watch of some labour leaders, disrupting activities in government offices for several hours and locking some in their offices.
The ongoing protest by the NLC began on Monday following their demands for payment of leave bonus, payment of gratuities to retirees who have been stagnated since the year 2021 and release of promotion letters for 2021 and 2022.
The aggrieved labour members blocked the entrance to the government secretariat in the state for the second time over the failure of Governor Seyi Makinde to meet and dialogue with them.
Their demands include payment of their deductions and allowances among other struggles since the inauguration of Makinde in 2019.
While some protesters stormed the entrance of the state secretariat, some male members of the union were assigned to search offices within the secretariat, chasing out civil servants to join the protest by force.
The protesters, who carried sticks, sang songs and disrupted official duties, which also affected vehicular movement.
A victim of the harassment, Dare Olaniyan, sustained injuries when he was manhandled by the protesters.
In a chat with Vanguard, Olaniyan, a staff of the Ministry of Information and Orientation, said he was beaten by some of the protesters, despite identifying himself with them.
He said, “I came inside the Secretariat premises to pick up my belongings, in the office.
“All attempts to explain this to the protesters fell on deaf ears, as they launched an attack on me, for no just cause.
“But rather than settling the issue amicably, the NLC members decided to go physical, engaging me and others with me in a fight.”
It took the intervention of the Executive Assistant to the Governor on Security, CP Sunday Odukoya (retd), to stop them immediately.
Odukoya, who frowned at the development, said: “Beating civil servants in the name of protest is against the law.
“You must desist from this act henceforth.”
Ensure protest is peaceful, CSOs tell Labour
Meanwhile, the national body of the NLC has commenced its nationwide protest on Wednesday, August 2.
The protest, according to the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, is to force the President, Bola Tinubu, to reverse his anti-poor policies.
