Following the intervention by the Lagos State Government on the case, Mr. Olubiyi Odunaro, the ex-banker of Hallmark Bank who went on a self imposed hunger strike to press home his demands for payment of the terminal benefits of his and 14, 000 other ex-staff of the bank, has today suspended his strike, after assurances by the state government that they will look into the matter.
Mr. Odunaro pictured above, receiving treatment from a Health Officer.
Appeals to stop the hunger strike were made by the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ade Ipaye, who was represented by his Senior Special Assistant on Justice and Law Reform, Mr. Lanre Akinsola, and the President, Association of ex-staff of Non-Consolidated Banks, Mr. Magnus Maduka, who visited him at his Mobolaji Bank-Anthony Way home, site of the strike action.
Mr. Odunaro said, "On this strike, I am not acting alone. It is a struggle for me and others who are affected. Since I have received the assurance from my association that I should suspend it; and that the state governor, is now aware of the issue, I will do so today."
Mr. Ipaye said, "This is a very pathetic situation and immediately the Governor, Babatunde Fashola, read about it in the media, he mandated the office of the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice and the office of the Senior Special Assistance on Justice and Law Reform to set up an inter-ministerial committee that would act on behalf of the state government on the issue."
The 'striking worker' was then promptly whisked away to the General Hospital on a Lagos State Ambulance Bus for prompt medical attention. He had been on the hunger strike for 15 days.
Source: www.vanguardngr.com
We hope the State government will keep its promise and see that the benefits of these ex-staff are paid to them. If it had been the Federal Government that had waded in, I might have been a tad bit suspicious, but since it's the Lagos State government, I would say there's hope for a concrete resolution of the issue.
Knowing Nigerians as a people who are grossly affected by the bandwagon effect, I think we'll now be seeing throngs of people using Hunger Strike as a means to press home their demands.
15 days will become their red border line. If after 15 days, the authorities don't step in, they'll either call it off and give in to the allure of food, or do the honourable thing and just take their life. . . .
. . . But that 'aint gonna happen.
Kudos to Mr. Odunaro. . . a pioneer, and again, a far braver man than me.
No comments:
Post a Comment