Senior civil servants vow to defend union

…Pass vote of confidence on National President, Secretary-General

UFOMBA UZUEGBU

Members of the Senior Civil Servants in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, under the auspices of Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) have vowed to resist attempts by few disgruntled elements to destroy the union.

Rising from a mass meeting in Abuja on Thursday, the Chairmen of all the units of the Association in all the Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) in Abuja declared that those bent on derailing the Association, the only union standing in the Public Service to defend their interest and pursue their welfare issues, would have them to contend with.

The Labour leaders who stormed the ultra-modern national secretariat complex of the Association comprising a Conference Centre, guest house, offices and shops now at the fifth floor of construction and sprawling on about 12 plots of land at Mabushi area of the Federal Capital Territory, commended the National leadership of the Association for the prudent management of the union’s resources.

They wondered how many organizations, both in the Public and Private sectors of the economy could undertake such a massive building project without getting grants or obtaining loans from banks and other financial institutions and added that no union in Nigeria has ever come near this kind of monumental achievement.

In the communiqué issued at the end of their deliberations in Abuja and signed by 53 units chairmen, the Labour leaders condemned in strong terms, malicious publications by one unscrupulous member (names withheld) and his cohorts designed to tarnish the image of the Association and its leaders.

“The meeting, therefore, urged the leadership of the Association to take appropriate actions against those behind the online publication of falsehood against the union and its leadership.

“The meeting also urged the leadership of the Association to expel any other member or staff of the union who is found to be relating directly or indirectly with those bent on destroying the Association and bringing its leaders to disrepute”.

The labour leaders accordingly, passed a vote of confidence on the National President of the Association, Comrade Tommy Etim Okon, the Secretary-General, Comrade Alade Bashir Lawal, and all the Principal Officers of the Association.

They also called on the teeming members of the Association in Abuja and the 36 States of the Federation to continue to support the current national leadership of the union that had demonstrated unparalleled commitment towards the pursuit of members’ welfare.

The labour leaders dismissed as ridiculous, allegation that N14 billion of the union had been embezzled and wondered how such amount could have been accumulated since its registration when the Association had various bills such as salary commitments, hosting of meetings, of CWC, NEC, Delegates Conferences, among others, auditor’s fees, statutory rebates to organs of the union including branches, chapters and units, seminar grants, payment of rent in respect of the union’s offices nationwide, settlement of terminal entitlements of staff, training and retraining of members both at home and abroad, among others, to settle.

They also posited that the claim that the union’s property housing its national secretariat in Lagos and the building under construction in Abuja had been sold was false.