Comrade Innocent Bola-Audu has been re-elected as President of the Association of Senior Civil Servants in Nigeria (ASCSN).
This was disclosed in a communiqué signed by Bola-Audu and Gamaliel Acho (Secretary-General, ASCSN) on August 10, 2024, and made available to Nairametrics on Sunday.
ASCSN, a trade union representing staff in the Nigerian Civil Service, confirmed the re-election following its Emergency National Delegates Conference (NDC) held on Saturday, 10th August 2024.
Audu’s Re-election
According to the communiqué, stakeholders deliberated extensively on issues affecting the association and the generality of Nigerian workers, as well as the state of the nation, and made several resolutions.
The NDC-in-session stated it reviewed and hailed the judgment of Justice O. O. Oyewunmi of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) in Suit No. NIC/ABJ/214/2022, which earlier reinstated Bola-Audu as the National President of the Association after years of litigation.
At the emergency meeting, the attendees re-elected Audu for a second term.
“The NDC-in-session re-elected Comrade Innocent Bola-Audu for a second term in office as the National President of the Association. Also elected were other officers of the Central Working Committee (CWC).
“The NDC-in-session acknowledged information from the NEC that some members of the CWC resigned and are not interested in being re-elected to the CWC,” the communiqué partly read.
The newly elected CWC of ASCSN includes Comrade Bola-Audu (National President), Comrade Hassan Abba (Vice President), Comrade Tari Dounana (Vice President), Comrade Andrew Magaji (Vice President), Comrade Odunayo Adebayo Adesoye (Vice President), and Comrade Rahab Maigari (National Treasurer).
As contained in the communiqué, the elections involved delegates drawn from the thirty-six states of the federation and the FCT, according to the relevant rules of the Union.
The NDC-in-session appreciated the Nigeria Police for ensuring thorough investigation and due prosecution of all persons indicted for allegedly looting the resources of the Association, pledging full support to the law enforcement agencies to ensure that justice is done.
The communiqué partly reads, “The NDC-in-session confirmed the appointment of Comrade Gamaliel Chinyere Acho as the new Secretary-General of the Association, which appointment was earlier made by the Central Working Committee (CWC) and ratified by the National Executive Council (NEC).
“The NDC-in-session commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment for the timely resolution of the new national minimum wage issue, noting that N70,000 (Seventy Thousand Naira) is a good benchmark for the least paid worker in Nigeria in view of the high cost of living in the country and the realities surrounding the Nigerian economy.”
Backstory
Nairametrics previously reported that Bola-Audu’s legal team had sued ASCSN, Bashir Alade Lawal, and Tommy Etim-Okon (1st to 3rd respondents), seeking a declaration that the emergency meeting of its Central Working Committee in March 2021, which purportedly reached a decision that he should step aside over criminal allegations filed against him by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), be nullified so he can be reinstated.
NAPTIP had arrested and arraigned Bola-Audu over alleged human trafficking offenses, but he was eventually discharged by an FCT High Court.
Despite his acquittal, the association members who removed him refused to reinstate him as president.
The claimant then approached the NIC for redress, seeking orders mandating the ASCSN and its agents to ensure that he completes his four-year tenure without interruption, among other requests.
But the defendants’ legal team urged the court to decline jurisdiction on the matter.
They also argued that the matter is an abuse of the court process as there is an appeal against the judgment of the FCT High Court.
Passing her verdict on the case, the judge observed that an FCT High Court had on 15th March 2021 ordered that parties should maintain the status quo in a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by the claimant, but the defendants disobeyed the directive.
She also observed that the ASCSN should have reinstated the claimant since the basis for his removal had been struck out by a competent court.
She subsequently reinstated Mr. Bola-Audu as the substantive National President of the ASCSN until his tenure is completed.
She also ordered the defendants to pay a fine of N3 million to the claimant.
The NIC has jurisdiction over all trade union and workplace matters, though its verdict is not final, especially if disagreeing parties choose to seek redress at the Appeal Court up to the Supreme Court.
