Hundreds of workers of the Ondo State Ministry of Works on Monday staged a protest against the state Commissioner for Transport, Nicholas Tofowomo, for allegedly slapping one of the Directors in the ministry.
The protest was led by officials of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) in the state.
The state Ministry of Works and that of Transport share same complex on Oyemekun Road in Akure, the state capital.
Tofowomo slapped Mr. M.J Afeniforo, Director of Mechanical, in the sister Ministry of Works headed by Gboye Adegbenro, during an argument.
Sources said the commissioner had approached Afeniforo for a tractor but was told that all the tractors were presently being used for road work across the state.
It was gathered that Afeniforo added that even the Commissioner for Works, Gboye Adegbenro, was at Ilara where he was inspecting one of such road projects.
Tofowomo reportedly phoned his Ministry of Works counterpart, telling him that the Director, Mechanical, said he (Adegbenro) had diverted all the tractors to his hometown in Ilara-Mokin.
The director was said to have immediately cautioned Tofowomo not to lie against him since he (director) never said the tractors were diverted to Ilara-Mokin.
The commissioner reportedly threw decorum to the winds at this stage by slapping the director severally for arguing with him.
Leaders of the NLC and TUC in the state thereafter converged on the premises of the Ministry of Works, protesting against the assault on Afeniforo.
The union leaders then gave the state Governor, Olusegun Mimiko, until Friday this week to sack the commissioner or face mass action by the workers in the state.
State Deputy Governor, Ali Olanusi, who later paid a solidarity visit to the workers over the matter, promised them that any culprit in the matter will be sanctioned.
Olanusi urged the angry workers to go back to their desks and resume normal business, while government looks into the matter.
Timely intervention of Chairman of the State Joint Negotiation Council (NJC), Solomon Adelegan, prevented what could have been a violent protest, as he persuaded the workers against taking the law into their hands.
State Head of Service, Kosemani Kolawole, later invited the assaulted director and the Permanent Secretary of the ministry with a view to settling the matter.
When contacted on phone, the commissioner failed to pick the calls.