BY MAYOWA SAMUEL
President of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), Comrade Tommy Etim Okon, has alleged that those who came to occupy the union’s national secretariat last Monday were miscreants accompanied by expelled members of the union.
Okon disclosed this to The Point as he gave an update on the crisis that rocked the union last week when scores of leaders of the association staged a protest by picketing its Yaba National Secretariat, insisting that they won’t relent in their action until some retired officials of the union vacate their offices.
The union has been bedeviled with an alleged N10 billion fraud against some officials and the aggrieved members called for the prosecution of the retired members accused of being involved in fraudulent activities.
At the protest, one of the members said, “The union has been turned into a house of corruption, the CWC is called upon to rise up and end this corruption. We appeal to the conscience of all the members of the CWC to end this unnecessary tension in the union by asking all retired officials of ASCSN to vacate office so that the union can focus on fighting the course of members.”
But speaking on the true situation of things, Okon said, “Those members were expelled members who went to mobilise people both inside and outside the confines of the office in order to deceive the public that there was indeed a crisis. What we need to learn as civilised people is that when there are issues, you cannot force yourself on your followers.
“In a situation where you are suspended by the organs, and you decide to go to court, I think the most important thing is that you allow the court to do its work. But where you resort to self-help, it’s very unfortunate. At the level of our leadership, we should not be desperate for anything because it is God that gives power.
“The former president, not that we have anything against him, is just because of the image of the association, when he was alleged to have been involved in trafficking in persons and extortion, even when we asked him to step down, there was no issue at all until he decided to abandon the internal dispute resolution mechanism of the constitution which he swore to uphold.
“He not only went to the court, he forcefully went to take over the annex office in Abuja and went to the police too. It was when the police realised that the man was also standing trial with the federal government, that he was told, why don’t you wait until the court decides? He went all round to the ministry of labour, head of service, EFCC, ICPC, NIC, Alagbon, and so on. That is desperation taken too far.
“I believe that at the level of civility, you shouldn’t go and take laws into your hands because this would amount to contempt. The matter is in court, you took the matter there. The constitution is very clear about those retired. When the NEC takes decision, if you contested election on a tenure system which is four years in our constitution, within that period, if you exit the service, and the NEC took the decision that you should complete that tenure, that is not a crime because being a tradition, the first president, second president, even the immediate past president, Kaigama.
“When Bola-Audu was a national vice, NEC made a decision that although you have retired, complete that tenure and when you complete that tenure, I think you are good to go with the tenure, that is the constitutional provision but they are making it up. Some of the allegations they made about N10 billion, if we sell all our assets, we are not even sure of making N2 billion, you are now talking about N10 billion, it’s laughable, and look at the emotional blackmail.
“All of us went to Alagbon, they invited them, but they didn’t come. If you are alleging that someone stole your money, produce the evidence. EFCC, ICPC are thorough in their investigations, these bodies are still working and are still investigating this, so why do you now resort to self help? If I was a leader like him, wouldn’t I have also invited thugs? What would then have been the result? What if somebody dies? People will then say that this is supposed to be a Senior Civil servant Association.
“So for us not to fall victims of the emotional blackmail, we decided to follow due process and complain with our documents and facts. There are organs in the Union that when they take decisions, it stands. He has been a national vice for eight years, he was a unit chairman when I was unit chairman since 2004. In 2012, he became the national vice and stayed for eight years. The association is not Bola Audu’s father’s farm that you feel that somebody is coming to steal there. As others have rights, you also have, so he shouldn’t feel like if it’s not him, nobody can occupy there, that’s just it. As a leader, you must understand that you should show discipline,” Okon stated.
Confirming the closure of the Secretariat by the Police during the protest on Monday, Okon said it was to prevent a breakdown of law and order.
He said, “The Secretariat has now been open. It wasn’t closed because of any crisis. The intention of the police commissioner was to ensure that there was no breakdown of peace and order. When a matter is in court of competent jurisdiction, I think parties have to maintain status quo until the determination of the matter in court. They have also presented the facts with the documented evidence, I think the IG of Police saw reasons and directed that the police should vacate the place while the matter continues in court until the court says otherwise.”
