Ahead of a possible National Executive Committee NEC meeting of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) next month, five national departmental directors and the Head, Legal Services of the party who were suspended in April have written the NEC for reinstatement or a formal disengagement.

National Chairman of the party, Senator Abdullahi Adamu had on April 22 ordered all departmental directors at the ‘Buhari House’ national secretariat of the party to proceed on indefinite suspension.

On assumption of office on April 1, Adamu had immediately hinted of the possibility of reorganizing the national secretariat while he also embarked on remodelling the party secretariat, relocating his office from the third to the ground floor.

Although he promised to do a staff audit, the report of the exercise which showed an over-bloated workforce has not been implemented despite the committee concluding its assignment several weeks ago.

The former Nasarawa governor had consequently set up a transition committee headed by a former Governor of Jigawa State, Ali Saad Birnin Kudu to study the handing over notes of the defunct Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee CECPC and other sundry matters affecting the National Secretariat of the party.

It was based on the committee’s recommendations that Adamu decided to suspend the directors and head, legal services.

However, in the letter dated 20th July, 2022, the directors sought the intervention of NEC.

They also wrote another letter to the Adamu-led National Working Committee NWC and copied the Chairman, Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), seeking clarification on their employment statuses.

The letters were signed by Elder Anietie Offong (Welfare); Bartholomew I. Ugwoke (Research); Abubakar Suleiman (Finance); Dr Suleiman Abubakar (Administration); Salisu Na’inna Dambatta (Publicity); and, Dare Oketade, Head, Legal.

They said having been asked to proceed in compulsory one month leave on April 22, 2022, their leave had ended on May 23, 2022 and they all reported to the National Secretary, Senator Iyiola Omisore to inform him that the leave had expired and that they were back to work.

“This was in line with the APC Conditions of Service. The National Secretary said he would inform the National Chairman about our return to duty within 48 hours. We waited and the waiting is still going on.

“Subsequently, we were reliably informed that while we are kept waiting, some persons were appointed to replace most of us even though no letters were issued to us regarding our status as staff of the party.

“It is significant that despite the fact that none of us was served with a severance letter, our salaries have been stopped since May 2022. This is very unusual for staff who are on leave approved by the employer.

“In view of the ambiguity regarding our status, we wrote a letter (copy attached) appealing to the National Chairman and members of the National Working Committee to kindly clarify our status in a formal way,” he added.

In the letter to Adamu, the departmental heads requested a formal communication and payment of terminal benefits as provided in the APC Staff Conditions of Service, in the event that their services were no longer needed.

“Such payments should include earned salaries including for the months of May and June 2022 and any subsequent months pending conclusion of the clarification.

“As highly loyal and responsible Directors of the APC, we wish to make it clear that by this letter we are not making a petition, but appealing to Your Excellency and the members of the NWC to please consider the points raised, especially at paragraph 5 above with due regards to the principles espoused by the APC such as fairness, justice and caring for the welfare of citizens.

“We sincerely hold Your Excellency in high esteem and believe that our appeal will be treated fairly and justly in line with your reputation as a leader and father to us,” the directors begged.

An official of the party stated that “the prolonged suspension without either payment of salaries or sack may lead to legal issues and political embarrassment for a supposedly populist party.”

He expressed the urgent need to dispense of the matter and other needless distractions afflicting the Adamu-led NWC in order to enable party leaders concentrate fully on the forthcoming general election. (Vanguard)

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