National Co-ordinator of All Workers Convergence (AWC) Andrew Emelieze has petitioned the Minister of Labour, Dr. Chris Ngige and the Minister of State for Labour, Festus Keyamo.
He petitioned the duo over the crisis rocking the National Secretariat of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN).
The labour leader in the petition which was also sent to the Senate Committee on Labour and House of Representatives Committee on Labour regretted that the union has been enmeshed in crisis since the purported removal of the association’s President, Comrade Bola Audu.
Our correspondent recalls that the association has over the last few weeks witnessed a leadership crisis.
The Lagos State Police Commissioner had summoned some labour leaders over the protracted crisis.
Emelieze has, however, appealed to Ngige and Keyamo to intervene, to resolve the crisis.
In the petition on Wednesday, Emelieze said the removal of some executive members of the association did not follow due process.
He said, “Sir, the Union has been plunged into crisis since the unconstitutional removal of the President, Comrade Bola Innocent Audu, the callous sacking of over twenty staff of the union by the Secretary-General in the month of June and the refusal of the Secretary-General, Mr Alade Bashir Lawal to retire when he clocked sixty years.
“Foremost Sir, the removal of the President did not follow the provisions of ASCSN constitution to allow for a fair hearing and the subsequent approval of such removal by the national delegates conference and the Congress of the union. Moreso, ASCSN’s constitution did not provide for the replacement of the President by the Vice President in such instance.. Hence, members of the union are calling for the reinstatement of the President, Comrade Bola Innocent Audu.
“Sir, in the face of all these breaches, a court order was served to ASCSN, mandating them to revert to the status quo pending the determinations of the court thus, restraining ASCSN from parading the selected acting President.
“Despite the court orders served to ASCSN and the interventions of Lagos State Police Commissioner, the Secretary-General still went ahead to convoke a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Lagos on 16th and 17th August 2021 in defiance to the court orders restraining such activities.
“Therefore, members of the union see all the decisions arrived at in that meeting as null and void. At this juncture, it is important that the Ministry of Labour call for restraint from ASCSN to ensure, they obey court orders in order to forestall future occurrence from other industrial unions.
“The pace at which things are getting from bad to worse in the union is alarming. The activities of Mr Alade Bashir Lawal is unprecedented and it is capable of causing industrial unrest in the union as workers are now preparing to picket the union headquarters across the Federation to call on Lawal to retire and for the reinstatements of the suspended President and all sacked staff of ASCSN.
“I, therefore plead with the Honorable Minister of Labour and the entire Labour ministry to investigate why Mr Alade Bashir Lawal, the Secretary-General of ASCSN refused to obey court orders and his anti-labour policy of retrenching workers.
“I join in the popular call by members of ASCSN congress, to call for the return to status quo pending the determinations of the court, this is my prayers to the Honorable Minister of Labour and the Ministry of Labour.”
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