Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba
The Chairman, South-South Forum of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), Martin Bolum, has commended the authorities of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) for unsealing its Lagos secretariat, which was ‘unlawfully’ invaded by factional members.
The national secretariat of ASCSN located in Lagos was sealed off by law enforcement agents after thugs wielding charms and dangerous weapons invaded its premises apparently at the behest of some factional members of the association.
Speaking with journalists in Asaba, Delta State, yesterday, the South-South zonal Chairman of the ASCSN, Bolum, stressed the need for members to make discipline their watchword, adding that “discipline is the cornerstone of civil service tradition.”
He renounced the action of the factional members, saying they were pressing the association “to the brink of an incendiary conflict and trumping up sponsored agitation against a well-constituted leadership.”
The zonal chairman of ASCSN lauded the police for safeguarding the lives of workers and property, which were threatened by the ‘unlawful’ invasion of the secretariat.
He expressed the readiness of the national leadership to chat a new positive and progressive trajectory for the union in the country, urging members to support the leadership in its determination to move ASCSN forward.
Bolum said: “On behalf of the ASCSN, I wish to give our deepest gratitude to the hard work of the Nigeria Police in safeguarding the association’s national secretariat in Lagos that was invaded by unscrupulous elements posing as aggrieved factional members of the association.
“The police have shown to the world the highest professionalism and the greatest perseverance over this cumbersome struggle which rarely happens in Nigerian labour. We are proud of the police authorities.
“We understand the importance of people’s access to the ASCSN secretariats, so we are working closely with the police and our oversight committees to ensure security of lives and property of all members of the association irrespective of different interests. All we are saying is: no to hooliganism, gangsterism and unwanted invasion and destruction of the association’s property.
“The association’s discipline is very elastic on it members. We don’t behave like loose cannons, derailing from civil service roles; pushing the association to the brink of an incendiary conflict and trumping up sponsored agitation against well constitutional and duly constituted leadership.
“In our determination to preserve ASCSN, we want to reiterate that our avowed confidence in the leadership of Dr. Tommy Etim Okon as ASCSN president remains ironclad.”
