Olubiyi Odunaro, the 53-year-old former employee of Hallmark Bank
Plc., protesting against non-payment of his terminal benefit, on
Monday suspended his 14-day hunger strike.
The suspension of the protest followed spirited appeal by a
representation from the Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, and
officials from the Lagos office of the Public Complaints Commission.
Senior Special Assistant to Fashola on Justice Sector Reforms, Lanre
Akinsola, who led a team of legal, welfare and medical officials to
the tent Odunaro had turned to his home on Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way,
Lagos, promised to intervene.
Akinsola said, "The attention of the Lagos State Government was drawn
to the various media reports about the protest being embarked upon by
Odunaro and it's quite pathetic.
"Governor Fashola who was worried about his state of health formed an
inter-ministerial committee comprising medical, legal and welfare
officials and directed me to lead the team to persuade him to end his
hunger strike.
"As a responsible government we don't want a dead casualty in our
hands as a result of this protest. Once he ends this protest, we would
first provide him medical service while the Lagos State Directorate of
Citizens Rights would engage the authorities concerned in a
comprehensive dialogue."
Akinsola said the Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for
Justice, Ade Ipaye, had given him his word on free legal services to
Odunaro and other ex-workers of non-consolidated banks seeking the
payment of their entitlements if the negotiations become unfruitful.
"The Lagos Commissioner of the Public Complaints Commission, Funso
Olukoga, sends his word that you end this protest and go back home
while we look into your complaints.
"We've listened to the complaints and we are going back to report to
the commissioner and see the best we can do concerning it.
"We are making this appeal because of your health and the negative
consequences it may have on you. The commissioner has given us the
authority to ensure that the matter is resolved."
He said, "This struggle is not only about myself; it's about the
right of over 14,000 ex-workers of non-consolidated banks who are ably
represented here today.
"The Lagos State Government and the PCC have given me and my people
their word and I would hold on to it. My other colleagues too have
appealed to me to give the state government the opportunity to play
their part in this matter.
"In view of this, I announce the suspension of my hunger strike for
two weeks to enable me to go for medical treatment and allow the
state government play its part in this debacle."
President, Association of Ex-Staff of Non-Consolidated Bank, Magnus
Maduka, said, "We will be leveraging on the clout of the state
government and the promises of the Public Complaints Commission to get
our entitlements which we have been fighting for for about seven
years."
As soon as he announced the suspension, the medical team from the
Lagos State Ambulance Service who had been waiting for hours led him
into an ambulance marked LA 167 A08 at about 3:09pm and took him to
the Medical Emergency of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital
for medical attention.
