Academic activities were, on Wednesday, paralysed at the Ondo state government-owned Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology (OAUSTHEC), in Okitipupa, over the alleged “mass sack” of some workers in the institution, Peoples Gazette has learnt.

The workers, it was gathered, shut down the gate of the University, preventing both human and vehicular movement in protest of their dismissal by the management.

Some of the workers, who spoke to express their grievances, alleged the authority of the university, led by the chairman of the governing council, Akinbo Adesomoju, of sacking over 20 of them from the school.

They explained that all of them were duly employed and issued appointment letters by the management of the institution but were surprised about their sudden dismissal through a sack letter on Tuesday.

“We were surprised when we saw the letter stating that our services are no longer needed by the university,” one of the affected workers said.

Dayo Temola, Chairman of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) in the university, who condemned the action of the management, said the unions in the institution would not accept the sack of the workers.

Mr Temola noted that management should immediately reverse itself by recalling the affected workers to avoid crisis in the University.

He, however, added that the decision of management would be resisted by the union leaders.

“It is trite to say that when this news had earlier filtered, it was debunked by University management/ council until yesterday (Tuesday),” Mr Temola said.

According to him, the basis for justification of the mass sack by the council was not tenable and would neither be tolerated nor accepted.

“The unions of SSANU, NASU AND NAAT hereby reject this mass sack and demand the followings:

“That the mass sack be reversed with immediate effect and the Ondo State Government should, as a matter of urgency, set up a visitation panel in line with the university laws,” he said.

In an interview with The Gazette, the chairman of the Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU), in the institution, Rotimi Olorunsola, said the gate of the university would remain under lock and key until the management recalled the sacked workers.

Mr Olorunsola added that the council specifically has been issued an ultimatum that unless the decision is reversed, the union will embark on an industrial action.

“As a matter of fact, the appointment was approved by the former council and they (sacked workers) were given letter in March, 2022, but they resumed in October because there was ASUU strike.

“The affected staff have contributed to the progress of the University for the last one year, so there is no point sending them out of the system, we need them.

“The doors of the university will remain locked until action is reverse. Even the 100-level examination that is coming up on Monday will not hold. There will be no examination and lecture,” he told our reporter.

According to him, the members affected by the action were those employed and who are also first class graduates from the University.

“We cannot afford to throw away our first class graduates because we taught them. Most universities have the culture of retaining their first class products. We also resolved that if the council is having issue with the management, they should resolve it; they should not come and bounce back on our members.”

Several efforts by The Gazette to reach Paul Adeagbo, the spokesman for the university, were unsuccessful.

A short message sent to his line was still pending as of press time.