The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria in Warri, Delta State, has threatened to shut down Federal Government College, Warri, over what it termed inability of the Federal Government to pay the November salaries and other entitlements of its members working in the school.
Chairman of the Warri Unit of the association, Osamaye Francis, spoke with our correspondent during a peaceful protest staged at the entrance to the college.
Francis threatened that if the demands of the workers were not met, they would lock up all offices, classrooms and dormitories in the school.
He warned that the association would not succumb to any form of harassment and intimidation from any quarters, adding, “The Principal of the college has threatened to terminate the appointment of our members, who participated in this strike.”
The ASCSN chairman alleged that the Principal of the college, Mr. Abiodun Fabiyi, invited policemen from “B” Division in Warri to harass and intimidate the workers, instead of dialoguing with members of the association, who were enforcing an order from its national body.
Members of the association had chased students out of the FGC, blocking the entrance gate at about 7am and chanting solidarity songs as they declared a total strike to make the partial strike earlier embarked upon three weeks ago effective.
Francis further explained that the association allowed only students writing the West African Senior School Certificate Examination, those in JSS II and their invigilators to carry out the exercise so as not to affect their education.
When our correspondent visited the school at about 8:30am for the principal’s reaction to the matter, he was said to be in the assembly with the students at Davis Hall.
Few minutes later, he was also said to be in another meeting with some management staff.
When eventually contacted on the phone, Fabiyi declined to make any comment on the matter, saying, “A lot of faceless people are calling me and I do not know who is a journalist or not.
Please, I cannot talk to you because I do not know who is talking. If you want to talk to me you have to come to my office.” When our correspondent visited the school again for the principal’s comment, he was not in his office.
