APC Directors On Compulsory Leave Threaten Legal Action Against Adamu

Five National Departmental Directors and the Head of Legal Services of the All Progressives Congress, APC have written to the National Chairman of the party and National Executive Committee, NEC, threatening to enforce their rights in court unless a reinstatement or proper termination of their employment is executed.

In two separate letters dated 20th June and 20th July 2022 respectively, they sought clarification of their status while requesting for either reinstatement or proper disengagement otherwise the development would result to legal action which could ultimately affect the conduct of the party’s presidential campaign.

Recall that Adamu had caused all the departmental directors at the party’s national secretariat to proceed on indefinite suspension.

He assumed duty as National Chairman on April 1, and told staff at the secretariat of his plan to reorganize the structure of the party.

He had also promised to embark on staff audit, alleging that the staff was bloated.

He proceeded to set up a transition committee headed by a former Governor of Jigawa State, Ali Saad Birnin Kudu, to study the handover notes of the defunct Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee CECPC and other sundry matters affecting the National Secretariat of the party.

In order to implement the decision of the Kudu-led committee, he sent all department heads on one month compulsory leave.

But having stayed more than the one month without recall, the five department heads and the head of legal services jointly wrote a letter of reminder dated June 20, with the title ‘Request for Clarification of our status’ jointly signed by the five directors and head of legal services.

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

On tbe June 20 letter addressed 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 stated.

In the second letter dated 20th July, addressed to the NEC, the group sought the intervention of the party’s NEC.

In the letter which was copied to the Chairman, Progressive Governors’ Forum ,PGF, they observed that having been asked to proceed on 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”.

An unnamed party official is said to have warned that the directors were contemplating using the instrument of law to decide their fate.

He said, “the prolonged suspension without either payment of salaries or sack may lead to legal issues and political embarrassment for a supposedly populist party”.

He added that, “While new directors have been employed and assigned duties by the National Secretary, definite decision(s) required on the pending matter.

“Decision-makers need to either consider complete disengagement and payment of benefits OR, allow them back to the secretariat. Need to do away with this and other needless distractions so as to enable party leaders/members concentrate fully in an election year,” he advised.

The spokesman of the APC, Felix Morka, could not be reached for comment as he did not reply to text message sent to his phone neither did he pick his calls.