Operatives of the Ondo State Security Network Agency, also known as Amotekun Corps, on Monday petitioned the State House of Assembly over the non-issuance of formal appointment letters nearly four years after their recruitment.
The aggrieved officers, in a petition filed by their legal counsel and human rights activist, Tope Temokun, lamented the state government’s failure to regularise their official engagement since they were recruited in 2020.
While describing their situation as pathetic, particularly when compared to the benefits and formal employment structures enjoyed by their counterparts in other South-West states, the operatives disclosed that they were only issued warrant cards, a practice they argue strips them of fundamental labour rights.
They maintained that the continued absence of formal employment letters constitutes discrimination, unfair labour practice, and a violation of their constitutional and international rights to work under fair, lawful, and satisfactory conditions.
The petition, addressed to the Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, was also copied to the State Attorney-General, the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC), the House Committee on Human Capital Development, and the Committee on Allocation and Welfare.
In the petition, Temokun, who emphasised the current practice denies the security operatives essential benefits, including job security, pension rights, and the dignity accorded to formally recognised workers, stressed that the situation leaves them in a precarious and vulnerable position, despite the high-risk nature of their service in combating insecurity across the state.
The petition read, “Our clients have been in the continuous service of Ondo State under the Amotekun Corps since the establishment of the Agency by law in 2020. They have discharged their duties faithfully and at great personal risk in defence of lives and property across the State.
“Regrettably, from inception till date, no letter of appointment has been issued to the officers of the Corps in Ondo State, despite the fact that their counterparts in other States of the South-West region, where Amotekun operates, have been duly issued appointment letters.
“Instead, our clients were given mere warrant cards, which are operational instruments, but which in law cannot be a substitute for an employment contract. A warrant card is purely an operational instrument which only identifies an officer for field duty. It does not set out terms of service, salary, discipline, or pension rights. It is not a written contract stating duties, benefits, or terms of employment, as required under Section 7 of the Labour Act, Cap L1, LFN 2004.
“Without appointment letters, officers can be dismissed at will, without due process. This is the hallmark of casualisation — keeping workers in a perpetual state of insecurity. A warrant card cannot satisfy this legal requirement. By issuing only warrant cards, Ondo State treats full-time Amotekun officers as though they are casual or ad hoc workers, despite them performing permanent, life-threatening duties, in uniform, under state control, taking the risks of security operatives.
“The denial of appointment letters has exposed these officers to job insecurity and unlawful casualisation, contrary to Section 7 of the Labour Act. Amotekun officers in Oyo, Ekiti, Osun, and Ogun have appointment letters.
Ondo officers are denied the same, which is discriminatory under Section 42 of the 1999 Constitution.
“In other states where Amotekun operates, like Oyo, Ekiti, Osun, and Ogun, Amotekun officers have appointment letters, while Ondo officers are denied the same. By withholding same, Ondo alone discriminates against its own officers in violation of their rights against discrimination guaranteed under Section 42 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).
“It offends the principles of fair labour practice and humane conditions of work enshrined in Section 17(3) CFRN and Article 15 of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights. Since years of service are not formally documented, officers risk being treated as “temporary” workers indefinitely, regardless of how long they serve.
With the lawyer urging the Assembly to constitute an inquiry into the development, he called for the investigation of the number of officers on the payroll of the Ondo State Security Network Agency and the payment records of the officers to ascertain whether the monthly payment record reflects the number of legitimate officers in the service of the Corps.
“Non-confirmation of staff appointment and non-documentation automatically give room for the existence of ghost workers, leading to economic loss to the government. Mandate the issuance of appointment letters to all officers of the Amotekun Corps in Ondo State forthwith, with full recognition of years already served for pension and seniority purposes.
4. Mandate recognition of years of service of officers of Amotekun in Ondo State for the purposes of retirement year, pension and gratuity. Take all necessary legislative and oversight measures to ensure compliance with constitutional and statutory obligations towards our clients.
“These officers are committed to the security of Ondo State and have demonstrated this through years of service. What they now seek is fairness, dignity, and the legal recognition of their status as employees of the state.”
