By Victor Ahiuma-Young

The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, ASCSN, led by Shehu Mohammed has begun steps to pay the benefits of its former President, Innocent Bola-Audu.

Vanguard gathered the moves is line with Mohammed and new leadership efforts to ensure all former leaders of ASCSN are treated as such.

It was also gathered that the Association leadership also wants to comply with a National Industrial Court of Nigeria, NICN, ruling that Bola-Audu should be compensated up till July 2024, when his tenure ought have ended having been earlier elected President on July 29, 2020.

Confirming the planned compensation of the former President Bola-Audu, ASCSN Secretary General, Joshua Apebo, insisted that Shehu Mohammed is the only recognized President of ASCSN in line with its constitution and labour laws.

In a statement  in Abuja, Apebo recalled that Shehu Mohammed was elected ASCSN President on Monday 12th August 2024 with other members of the Central Working Committee, CWC, during the 5th Quadrennial National Delegates Conference of the Association held at Airport Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.

 He explained that this followed the expiration of tenure of the former members of CWC on 29th July 2024 having been elected on 29th July 2020 during the 4th Quadrennial National Delegates Conference of the Union held at NAF Conference Centre, Abuja.

The Association recalled that on 9th July 2024, the NICN while delivering judgment in Suit No. NICN/ABJ/214/2022 held that Innocent Bola-Audu should complete his tenure by 29th July 2024 having been elected as President of the Union on 29th July 2020 and that he should be compensated with N3Million for his legal expenses.

Justice Oyewumi Oyejoju O ruled that: “The Claimant (Innocent Bola-Audu) is to be reinstated to his position as National President of the 1st defendant with effect from April 2023 and accorded all the benefits and incidents of office from then till when he will lawfully complete his tenure on 29th July, 2024. The claimant is entitled to cost of N3million) only against the defendants jointly.”

According to ASCSN, “It is in consideration of this Court Judgment that the National Leadership of the Association has decided, as part of out-of-court settlement, to revisit the issue of compensation to Bola-Audu in line with the National Industrial Court Judgment

“We want to assure our members that as a law-abiding Trade Union, we are committed to operate within the ambits of the Constitution of the Union and Labour Laws of the Country. 

“We, therefore, urge our teeming members to renew their faith in the leadership of the President of the Union, Shehu Mohammed, the Secretary-General, Joshua Apebo, and other members of the Central Working Committee and disregard any disinformation from detractors about the Association.”