Kunle Adelabu
-As NUT, Non – Teaching Staff reject Amusa’s Return
There are indications that a new Education Secretary (ES), Local Government Education Authority (LGEA), Ikorodu Local Government may resume before the end of this month as it is certain that the outgoing ES, Mr Afolabi Amusa will not get another term.
It was gathered that the incumbent ES has been rejected by the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), Ikorodu LG branch, Association of Primary Schools Teachers and staff of the LGEA totally.
In addition, the six council chairmen in Ikorodu Division, who have the primary responsibilities to pick the Education Secretary are also not disposed to confirming him for another five years, so as are many other political leaders.
THE IMPACT had reported last week in a publication titled, “Allegations Rock Alhaji Afolabi Amusa’s Second Term Bid As LGEA Secretary”, some of the allegations were raised by some teachers and staff of the LGEA under the aegis of the Concerned Ikorodu Indigenes against him and why he should not be returned.
Although, Mr Amusa, also countered all the allegations and emphasised what his administration has been able to achieve in the last five years and why he deserved another term, but rather than quiet down his critics, his responses have generated further accusations with Non – Academic Staff and teachers ready for showdown with him if he is confirmed for a second term.
Some of the union leaders that spoke with THE IMPACT stressed that his non – confirmation is the only way to prevent protest and showdown. It was also gathered that they are not ready to welcome him back at the Methodist Primary School compound of the LGEA.
Reliable sources also informed THE IMPACT that preparations are ongoing to appoint a new ES for Ikorodu. The six council chairmen are said to have endorsed the nominee, so also are the political leaders.
It was learned that the new appointee was actually confirmed for the appointment five years ago and he was given letter of appointment for the position but he was prevailed upon to jettison it when political leaders especially from Ikorodu Constituency II insisted on Mr Amusa.
Our reporter gathered that the new ES has a very rich profile in terms of school management and administration and he is also known for his community and political activities.
THE IMPACT also gathered that his appointment may be confirmed by the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (LSUBEB) next week to replace the outgoing ES whose tenure ends on June 19.
Meanwhile, the Chairman, NUT Ikorodu, Comrade Oluwafemi Fakolade, JP, Comrade Oyenuga Olaolu, NASU Chairman and Asiwaju Lateef Oduguwa, have dismissed some of the outgoing ES responses to allegations that were raised against him by the Concerned Ikorodu Indigenes.
NUT Chairman, Comrade Fakolade, who spoke with our reporter at the NUT secretariat, Methodist Primary School, Ikorodu, said that the union adopted a dialogue approach with him which he did not embrace.
He emphasised that he has consistently abused his powers and alleged that he (ES) treats teachers and staff with disrespect.
“It was not that we did nothing to check him as a union, we have moved from an Aluta union to a more engaging and dialoguing body. We have intervened by talking with him several times but he has refused to change.
“He uses power arbitrarily and uses transfers as a means of punishing teachers and harassing them,” the NUT Chairman noted.
In a further elaboration, Mr Fakolade told THE IMPACT, “He has no permanent driver and always uses teachers and the head of schools as his drivers, thereby preventing them from discharging their duties in classrooms and schools. He has used over 50 staff and teachers as his drivers since his resumption in the last five years.
“Mid – term is statutory. It was the government and other stakeholders that planned the academic calendar, but the ES is fond of summoning teachers to his office during holidays. When he did that last October, and I called him about it, he said that there is no security within the compound and he needed them to secure the compound. Whose job is it to provide security?” he asked.
“He always introduced policies that bring hardship to teachers. It is through such that he forced them to buy Kampala.”
Fakolade further added: “When you talk about vulgar language, verbal abuse and other unprintable words, Mr Amusa always uses this on our teachers and these are some of his actions that are not acceptable to us as a union.”
On the claim that the LGEA is the one undertaking the rehabilitation of its secretariat, the NUT Chairman countered:
“He is not doing it with his impress or whatever, it is the Lagos State Government that is rehabilitating the building. The government is rehabilitating the LGEA building through the School Rehabilitation Committee.”
Fakolade also confirmed the allegation of his wife’s interference in official duty.
“We have two Executive Secretaries (ES) in Ikorodu today. We have ES I which is the wife and ES II which is Mr Amusa. That is a fact known to everyone. The wife is the one calling the shot.”
The NUT Chairman on the outgoing ES’s administrative capacity said: “In terms of human relations, Mr Amusa is zero. He has no good relationship with anyone.
“He lacks every capacity and standard of an administrator. He abuses power, instills fear in staffers and treats them with disrespect. There is no way such a person can lead.
“Ikorodu is a city and a local government of repute which does not deserve the kind of ES that we have at the moment.
“As a people and union, we reject his coming back and I know that Ikorodu leaders will listen to us and will give us a better administrator. Amusa does not have good relations with the critical stakeholders – NUT, AOPSON and the non – teaching staff.
“Throughout his five years as ES, he never attended World Teacher’s Day. This compound belongs to the Methodist Primary School, Ikorodu and LGEA, NUT are just mere tenants and the ES cannot claim control of it. He is fond of locking the school gate at weekends and taking the keys away with him, preventing anyone that wants to work to do so.
“As teachers, we may not have the power to enthrone and dethrone, but let it be known that we reject him in totality. We are appealing to leaders to hear the cry of our people and not return him. Vox populi vox dei”, Comrade Fakolade said.
In his own reaction, Comrade Oyenuga Olaolu, the Chairman, Non – Teaching Staff in Ikorodu, said that Mr Amusa always resorted to transfer because he doesn’t have the power to sack.
“The truth is that he uses arbitrary transfer as punishment to anyone that he doesn’t like and the only reason that he does that is because he doesn’t have the power to sack. He would have sacked virtually all the teachers if he had the power.”
He also countered the ES’ claim that he bought new generating sets for all the departments, stating that staff of the LGEA contributed monies to make the purchase.
Like the NUT Chairman, Comrade Oyenuga too expresses the displeasure of the Non – teaching staff and also said that they do not want him to return as ES to serve another five years.
Former Chairman, NUT Ikorodu and a critical stakeholder, Asiwaju Oduguwa described the outgoing ES as a man without any human feelings.
“He doesn’t have any human face and feeling and his five years can be described as a disaster. It was full of maladministration.
“He is the worst ES that has administrated LGEA Ikorodu,” he said.
