Following the refusal to join the ongoing protest, being the second day, members of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, in Oyo State, Tuesday, beat disobedient civil servants at the state secretariat.
Information Nigeria understands that the protesting NLC members are drawn from various ministries, which include judiciary, parastatals and other agencies.
The civil servants were however beaten under the watch of some labour leaders, who disrupted activities in government offices for several hours, locking workers in their offices.
The protesters did not only disrupt official duties, but carried sticks, sang songs which also affected vehicular movements.
The aggrieved NLC members also blocked the entrance to the government secretariat in the State for the failure of Governor Seyi Makinde to meet and dialogue with them.
As some stormed the entrance of the state secretariat, some male members of the union were assigned to ransack offices within the secretariat to chase out civil servants to join the protest by force.
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Dare Olaniyan, staff of the Ministry of Information and Orientation and a victim of the harassment, sustained injuries when he was manhandled by the protesters.
While speaking with Vanguard, Olaniyan said he was beaten despite identifying himself with them.
“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,” Olaniyan disclosed.
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.”
The NLC protest began on Monday, with members demanding 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.
