Alleged expelled members of Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) and some retired staff of the Union led by Bola-Audu Innocent, forcefully gained access to the National Secretariat office of the Union at Yaba, Lagos on Friday 22nd October, 2022 and carted away sensitive documents including Cheque books, computer items, cash and some other items.
Bola-Audu and his cohorts including Oluwa Mutiu Adebayo and in company of thugs, cultists and fake security operatives allegedly invaded the ASCSN National Secretariat, broke doors to various offices claiming that the court had given them order to invade the ASCSN National Secretariat which led to the vandalization of the entire offices.
In a press statement signed and made available to newsmen by the Union’s Secretary-General, Comrade Alade Bashir Lawal, regretted that Bola-Audu who is standing trial in an Abuja court for alleged human trafficking and exploitation of vulnerable persons, is moving around freely and endangering the lives of National Secretariat staff of the Union and they are constantly faced with harassments.
It should be recalled that on 5th and 22nd August 2022, Bola-Audu organized similar invasions with hoodlums but for interventions of the Police and restraint exercised by the staff, innocent employees of the Union would have been murdered by Bola-Audu and his thugs.
“As we write, nobody knows what Bola-Audu and his gang want to do or are already doing with the Union’s Cheque books valuable and other sensitive documents now in their possession,” the statement added.
According to the Union, since Bola-Audu was arrested on 22nd February 2021 in Abuja by the operatives of the National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), he has continued to accuse the leadership of the Association of not ordering the teeming members of the Union in Abuja to troop to the streets to prevent NAPTIP from prosecuting him for alleged human trafficking and exploitation of vulnerable persons.
“Given the grave nature of the offence for which he is still facing trial, the leadership of the Union advised Bola-Audu to step aside as National President so that the Union could explore proper channels to ensure that he gets fair hearing. ” Instead of heeding this advice, Bola-Audu insisted that thousands of members of the Association in the Federal Capital territory should occupy the offices of NAPTIP and the Federal Secretariat so that his trial could be forestalled,” the Union regretted.
It added that since the National Leadership of the Association declined to pander to his wish, Bola-Audu resorted to anti-union activities including invading the National Secretariat of the Association in Abuja and Lagos, writing to banks to frozen the union’s banks accounts to paralyze its activities.
“Bola-Audu also wrote to the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the Minister of Labour and Employment, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) proclaiming himself as the National President of the Association knowing full well that he has been suspended and later expelled by relevant organs of the Union namely the Central Working Committee (CWC) and the National Executive Council (NEC).
“As at today, Bola-Audu has been suspended from the Civil Service and banned from entering his office at the Treasury House because he is facing criminal charges of human trafficking and exploitation of vulnerable persons and instead of lying low, he thinks he can use force to bulldoze his way back to power.
“It should be emphasized that Labour Unions are democratic organizations and as such the organs of the union still need to meet and take appropriate decisions even if he gets reprieve in the courts,”the Union posited.
ASCSN however implored elders and strategic Stakeholders of the Association to prevail on Bola-Audu Innocent and his gang to stop endangering the lives of innocent staff of the Association by invading the National Secretariat of the Association in Lagos and Abuja. Bola Audu should be strongly advised to leave the Association alone.
