The arrest of Mr Lere Olayinka, an aide of ousted Governor of Ekiti State, Mr Segun Oni, has vindicated the position held by the State Government that some disgruntled politicians were at the roots of the various labour crises in the state.
Men of the Ekiti State Police Command on Monday arrested Olayinka while disrupting the Teachers Development Needs Assessment (TDNA) at the Ola – Oluwa Muslim Grammar School, Ado-Ekiti centre.
Lere Olayinka was said to have led a group of suspected thugs to harass teachers who were billed to write the exams at the centre. He later led the miscreants to throw stones at the teachers while writing the examination.
His attempt to escape from the scene of the incident when it became rowdy was foiled by the police who later arrested him.
It is recalled that the state government raised the alarm recently that some politicians in the state were responsible for the various allegations and protests by the National Union of Local Government Employee (NULGE) , just as it had earlier raised the alarm over plans by some politicians to frustrate the TDNA by spreading falsehood and harassing teachers who already had the conviction that the assessment would impact positively on their career. The arrest has vindicated our position.
Needless to say that Lere Olayinka’s physical attack on the teachers was part of the calculated attempt by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and his pay masters to frustrate the TDNA and other policies of government. Apparently piqued by the determination of the teachers to take the test, he resorted to physical attack on them.
While we hail the officers and men of the state command of the Nigerian Police for rising to their responsibility of maintaining law and order in the state, we hope that the police will, through their investigation, unmask the masterminds of the plot and bring them to book.
The Dr Kayode Fayemi administration is committed to maintaining the peace and tranquility that have been the hallmark of the state since the inception of the administration. We are also committed to policies that will enhance development of the various sectors of the state.
Teachers and indeed the entire workers in the state are assured of adequate security as they go about their work schedules.
Last modified: October 8, 2012
