Drama As Delta Senior Civil Servants Drag Police Commissioner, Attorney General, Others To Court

According to a report by SaharaReporters, the Delta State chapter of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria has dragged the state Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Accountant General, Head of Service, and others to the National Industrial Court in Awka, Anambra state capital, over a labour matter.

Others sued by the workers’ union are the Commissioner of Police; National President, Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria; Secretary-General of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria and two others.

In a suit marked NICN/Awk/18/2022, Eyaguobor Victor, Ujomoh Charles, Agbamu Lucky and the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (themselves and on behalf of members of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, excluding the Defendants) are the claimants.

The state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice; Reginald Bayoko, Head of Service of Delta State; Commissioner of Police; Patrick I. Ojeblenu; Kingsley O. Olomukoro; Tommy Okon (National President, Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria; Bashir Lawal Alade (Secretary-General of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria; Martins Bolum (Erstwhile chairman, Delta State branch of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria), and Mrs. Joy Enwa (Accountant General of Delta State) are 1st to 9th Defendants.

The state chapter of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria had last month staged a peaceful protest against the state Head of Service (HoS), Reginald Bayoko, for allegedly imposing leaders on them and using some persons to cause disunity in the association.

Following the leadership crisis, the state commissioner of police, Ari Muhammad Ali had two weeks ago sealed off the association's secretariat. The members of the association alleged that the police boss was being used by the head of service and a few others.

Condemning the police action against the union, a member of the association who simply identified himself as Etowha, disclosed that "Patrick Ojeblenum and Kingsley Olomukoro risk going to jail for allegedly forging the head of service’s signature in support of Martin's Bolum, former chairman of our association. It is a well-known fact that the election of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, Delta State branch was a stalemate.”

"This made them take sides by misleading the commissioner of police and the general public on an issue that is before a competent court of law. Information reaching us is that some senior civil servants of Nigeria have decided to sue them for contempt of court. As we speak both the Head of Service and the Attorney General have denied them both. The court has already given them 14 days to appear before it to show course why they will not be sent to prison for contempt."

The Association is therefore praying the court for the following orders:

"A declaration that the action of the Defendants in interfering and meddling with the subject matter in suit No: NICN/AWK/26/2022 between Eyaguobor Victor and three others versus Martins Bolum and ten others pending at the National Industrial Court, Awka, amounts to executive lawlessness. A declaration that the action of the Defendants in interfering and meddling with the subject matter in suit No: NICN/AWK/26/2022 between Eyaguobor Victor and three others versus Martins Bolum and ten others pending at the National Industrial Court, Awka, amounts to contempt of court.

"A declaration that the commissioner of police, Delta state command has no power to interfere in suit No: NICN/AWK/26/2022 between Eyaguobor Victor and three others versus Martins Bolum and ten others (A union matter) pending before the National Industrial Court, Awka. A declaration that the 2nd and 9th Defendants have no right to meddle with the check-off dues of Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, Delta state branch while suit No: NICN/AWK/26/2022 between Eyaguobor Victor and three others versus Martins Bolum and ten others (A union matter) is pending in Court.

"A declaration that the action of 3rd Defendant dabbling into the civil matter and a matter pending in court goes beyond the police power of investigation and amounts to acts of rascality. An order restraining the Defendants from interfering and meddling with the subject matter in suit No: NICN/AWK/26/2022 between Eyaguobor Victor and three others versus Martins Bolum and ten others pending at the National Industrial Court, Awka.

"An order restraining the 3rd Defendant from interfering with the suit No: NICN/AWK/26/2022 between Eyaguobor Victor and three others versus Martins Bolum and ten others (A union matter) pending the court decision in the said suit. An order directing the 2nd Defendant to show cause why he should meddle with the subject matter in suit No: NICN/AWK/26/2022 between Eyaguobor Victor and three others versus Martins Bolum and ten others (A union matter) and why contempt of court proceedings will not be commenced against him.”