The Nation Newspaper

Tag: ASCSN

  • ASCSN opposes ceding of Unity Schools to states

    Public servants, under the auspices of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), have expressed concerns over the subtle campaigns by hired analysts urging the present administration to transfer the 104 Federal Unity Colleges to state governments.

    Advising President Muhammadu Buhari to reject such a policy, the National President of the association, Mr Bobboi Kaigama and Secretary-General, Mr Alade Bashir, said those making such moves were not interested in the desires of ordinary Nigerians who voted the administration into office

    The ASCSN stated: “The Union is worried that when we have a new government in place, some Nigerians under the guise of discussing the issue of devolution of power in the country are clamouring for the transfer of Unity Colleges to State Governments.

    “The question to ask is what devolution of power has got to do with ownership of Unity Colleges when education is on the concurrent list of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. What manner of a country do we want to run when we engage in the habit of approbating and reprobating on sensitive national issues?”

    Kaigama said moving forward and backward would not help anybody. “Let us take all our institutions as given and service them on a regular basis for the benefit of mankind. You build toll gate today, demolish them tomorrow only for you to come back later and start toying with the idea of rebuilding them,” he stated.

    Insisting that there is the need to get serious for once and move the country forward, he noted that the idea of selling the national assets and heritage is only being driven by selfish motive and interest, and that it is not the way to go.

    ASCSN recalled that in 2005 when the then Minister of Education, Dr Oby Ezekwesili, acting on official directive, mooted the idea, millions of Nigerians overwhelmingly opposed the move while the union carried out seven-week strike throughout the Federation to forestall the plan.

    “Besides, how can anyone in his or her right senses be advising the Federal Government to hand over the 104 Federal Unity Colleges to state governments that cannot pay salaries to their workers and whose primary and secondary schools are in shamble,” the union queried.

  • Appoint competent ministers, ASCSN urges

    Appoint competent ministers, ASCSN urges

    The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to appoint competent persons as ministers to enable him fulfil his campaign promises to the electorate.

    In a statement in Lagos, the ASCSN National President, Comrade Bobboi Bala Kaigama said the advice became necessary because some names being touted in mainstream and social media as possible candidates for ministerial portfolios in the Buhari administration are persons of questionable character that have been recycled over and over again by previous governments.

    “Nigeria has abundant pool of human resource in all fields of endeavours and as such there is no need to continue to appoint persons with antecedents that will offend the sensibility of Nigerians into strategic positions any longer.

    “If Mr. President proceeds to appoint certain individuals who spearheaded anti-people policies while serving the previous governments into his cabinet, his pledge to change the pattern of governance including the culture of impunity in the country will be dead on arrival,” he said.

    According to Kaigama, if for any reason Mr. President wishes to appoint persons that have served the governments in the past into his cabinet, they must be individuals with impeccable character, proven integrity, and track record of selfless service to the country.

    It added that if Buhari opts to appoint deadwoods, including those that tried to sell the 104 Federal Unity Colleges to their mentors and to themselves as ministers or into any important positions in his government, there would be instant public outcry and resistance that would not augur well for his administration.

    “At this critical stage of the country’s development, it will be a tragedy if Mr. President recycles failed experts and expired activists either as ministers, advisers or assistants to serve in his government,” Kaigama said.

    He equally urged the trade union movement, civil society groups, and other individuals in the country to prepare and resist such appointments if made in the interest of democracy and good governance.

  • TUC supports strike by ASCSN

    The Osun State Council of Trade Union Congress (TUC), has thrown its weight behind the proposed strike by its affiliate, the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), Osun Branch and the ongoing strike action by the Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP), Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Osogbo.

    Its Chairman, Comrade Akinyemi Olatunji, called on  the public, particularly the media to disregard a contrary statement made by former Chairman of the Council, Oladele Francis Adetunji,  he purportedly disassociating the Council from the said strike.

    He said in accordance with the TUC’s Constitution Adetunji ceased to be the Chairman of TUC Osun State Council consequent upon the expiration of his tenure  and the subsequent election and inauguration of the present Executive Committee on March 6, last year, even though he has refused to come to terms with the transition that is sure to come.

    Adetunji, according to Comrade Olatunji, was not representing anybody but himself and his paymasters in the state, who are using him to undermine the legitimate interests of the working class. “Naturally his anti-union posture has rightfully caused him to be ostracised by all TUC members in the state and also earned him an indefinite suspension from the Congress by a resolution of the National Executive Council (NEC).

    “While we do not begrudge Adetunji on his solitary walk, we remind him and his ill-advised sponsors that he, who has no one following him, cannot validly call himself a leader. He is merely a man taking a stroll. Perhaps he will learn the lessons of the prodigal son and retrace his steps someday,” Olatunji said.

  • Labour may down tools over welfare

    Labour may down tools over welfare

     •Civil servants condemn Assembly fracas

    The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) has threatened to call its members in the federal public service out on strike if the Federal Government continues to dilly dally over the union’s demands for government to address the avalanche of welfare issues affecting its teeming members.

    This fresh strike is coming barely one month after the union paralysed activities at the headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Education, the Inspectorate Offices, and the 104 Federal Unity Colleges (FUCs) for four weeks over non-payment of promotion arrears and other allowances.

    In a press statement issued in Lagos and signed by its Secretary-General, Comrade Alade Bashir Lawal, the union drew the attention of the general public to the fact that the Federal Government had refused to enter into meaningful dialogue with the association to address lingering labour issues captured in 12 memoranda and placed before the  Government since March this year.

    ‘‘Since March, 2014, all efforts by the union to bring the Federal Government to the negotiating table to discuss the labour issues contained in the 12  memoranda have been frustrated by strategic government agencies including the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) saddled with the responsibility of handling welfare issues of workers,’’ the union said.

    According to Lawal, the issues in dispute include the non-payment of promotion arrears and other entitled allowances of workers, demand for the upward wage review in the civil service, payment of civil servants rent allowance en-bloc, payment of end-of-year incentives to all public servants, upward review of retirement age in the civil service, payment of special allowance to civil servants engaged in teaching including those teaching in the Federal Unity Colleges.

    Other grievances are non-payment of first 28 days allowance in lieu of hotel accommodation, the vexed issue of conducting promotion examinations in the public service at mid night, non-payment of allowances in respect of 2010 mandatory training programme organised by the OHCSF, payment of responsibility allowance to officers in the Directorate cadre in the Civil Service, among others.

    Lawal regretted that several meetings called since March, 2014 by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity to resolve these volatile labour issues had been aborted by deliberate absence at the parleys of the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation and the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF).

    ‘‘It is not quite clear why these government agencies are frustrating the negotiation process. Could it be that they subtly want to push thousands of workers in the public service into the streets to complicate the security challenges posed by the insurgents?’’ he asked.

    The ASCSN urged President Goodluck Jonathan to direct relevant government agencies to enter into serious dialogue with the union on the labour issues listed above which had been outstanding for several years.

    ‘‘It must be emphasised that the patience of thousands of employees in the public service has been exhausted on these issues and they may resort to self-help without further notice. This is the more reason why the Federal Government should come to the negotiation table with the union immediately before the entire public service is engulfed in industrial crisis the country can least afford now,’’ he said.

    The union also condemned in very strong terms the invasion of the National Assembly (NASS) by men of the Nigeria Police Force and other security agents to prevent lawmakers from having access to their chambers.

    In a statement issued in Lagos and signed by its National President, Comrade Bobboi Bala Kaigama, the union stated that the action of the security agents negated democratic ideals. ‘‘No matter the disagreement between the executive arm of government and some members of the House of Representatives, there is no need to use force to prevent the lawmakers from entering the premises of the National Assembly,’’ Kaigama said.

    He said the show of shame by the Nigeria Police Force and other security agents in preventing the number four citizen of this country along with other federal lawmakers from entering the assembly complex by firing canisters of tear gas at them all in a bid to prevent the House from re-convening to deliberate  on the request of Mr. President for an extension of the state of emergency rule in Adamawa, Yobe and Borno states was highly condemnable and  makes a mockery of the nation’s democracy.

    It argued that the defection of the Speaker of the House of Representatives to the All Progressives Congress (APC) was not enough for the fundamental human rights of the legislators to be trampled upon by the executive arm of government.

    The union  urged politicians to respect the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which they swore to uphold. “This is a nation that is governed by laws and aside from that, we have our values which should normally dictate and govern our operations. Our respective actions must therefore, be driven by the provisions of the constitution and they must always be in agreement with the rule of law”

  • Workers shut Unity schools in Rivers

    The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) yesterday shut the three Unity schools in Rivers State.

    The union said this followed a directive by the national officers to ensure compliance among the 104 Unity schools.

    The Secretary, Mohammad Bashman, said he was directed by the national body to close the schools.

    He added that the 104 schools and the Ministry of Education, Abuja, would be closed.

    Bashman said: “The problem is that some of our members were promoted in 2007, 2010, 2011 and 2013 without benefits.  Some of our members have not received last month’s salary.

    “We are saying enough is enough, they have been pleading with us with a lot of promises but we have come to realise that these people are not to be trusted. This time around we are meeting them force with force.”

  • Civil servants threaten strike over delayed salary

    The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) has given the Federal Government a notice to embark on a strike over the non-payment of its members’ December salary and emoluments since last July.

    The ASCSN, an affiliate of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria(TUC), in a statement by its Secretary-General, Mr. Alade Lawal, urged the government to begin the payment immediately or face its wrath.

    It called on the TUC, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), civil society groups, The Patriot, the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) and prominent individuals to prevail on the Federal Government to pay the civil servants their salaries promptly, to avert disruption of services in the public service a few days after the strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities was resolved.

    The umbrella union of senior civil servants expressed shock that thousands of federal civil servants were not paid their December salaries.

    “We wish to emphasise that if the federal civil servants are not paid their December 2013 salaries and arrears outstanding since July 2013 immediately, the entire Federal Civil Service will be shut down shortly.

    “It is difficult to understand why civil servants cannot be paid their paltry salaries in an economy where the political elite are carting away millions of naira monthly as remunerations, while billions in public funds are also being looted without qualms and those involved in the stealing spree are not being brought to book.”

    Lawal, said the Finance Minister, Dr  Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, owes Nigerians an explanation on what caused the delay.

    “It is disheartening that thousands of civil servants employed by the Federal Government were not paid their December 2013 salaries, and so, these workers and their families spent the Christmas under the pain and pang of hunger. What is also clear is that these workers, their children and other dependants will also celebrate the New Year in sadness,” he said.

    The union called on the Finance Minister to speak out and tell Nigerians why the Federal Government can no longer pay salaries to its employees as and when due, saying it was necessary for the minister to address the nation on the embarrassing situation because she has maintained that the country was not broke.

    The ASCSN also said it was bad that civil servants are the least paid in sub-Saharan Africa, adding that the fact that thousands of them could no longer be paid their meagre salaries was pushing the workers and their trade unions to the wall.

    The association requested President Goodluck Jonathan to step in and put the necessary machinery in motion to ensure that such an embarrassing situation would not repeat itself.

    The group posited that the inability of the government to pay salaries was lending credence to the belief in some quarters that the managers of the public sector of the economy were grossly incompetent.

    However, the Federal Government last week said it would investigate the reasons for the delay in payment of the December salary of some civil servants.

    But Mrs Okonjo-Iweala said in a statement by her Special Adviser on Communication, Mr. Paul Nwabuikwu, that the investigation followed the protest by ASCSN over the alleged non-payment of some of the members.

    She said the ministry had not received any complaint on the matter.

  • Unity Schools’ teachers begin four-day warning strike

    The teachers of the Federal Government Colleges, a.k.a Unity Schools and workers of the Federal Ministry of Education (FME) and inspectorate departments over yesterday began a four-day warning strike unpaid leave and promotion arrears of six years.

    The strike by the workers, under the aegis of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) disrupted the first term examinations in many of the 104 unity schools as the teachers did not show up in the classrooms to conduct the examination.

    A letter dated November 25, 2013 uploaded on the union’s website gave details of the breaches that led to the strike.

    The letter titled: “Notice of Four Days Warning Strike in the Federal Ministry of Education” and signed by the Secretary General of the union, Alade Bashir Lawal, stated that the union decided to down tools after the FME failed to implement agreements both parties reached on March 11, 2013 and a follow up meeting on August 27, where the former Minister of Education, Prof Ruqayyat Ahmed Rufa’i assured the ASCSN leaders that it would be implemented September ending.

    The group also claimed that the money has been released by the Accountant-General of the Federation but not paid the workers.

    The letter reads: “It is pertinent to state here that the ultimatum given to the Ministry has now expired and nothing concrete was done to implement the agreement even though we have eben able to confirm the relase of about N825 million by the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation to the Federal Ministry of Education to pay outstanding promotion arrears to members of staff in the Ministry. N298,297,913 out of this amount was actually released in December, 2012 representing the promotion arrears for 2011 while N527,643,440 was released for 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 promotion arrears.”

    The union further threatened that if the demands are not fulfilled before the end of the warning strike, the workers may embark on a “full-blown nationwide strike.”

    Checks by The Nation revealed that the strike was effective in the Southwest. However, the Federal Science and Technical College, FSTC, Yaba, Lagos, had not join the strike as at yesterday because a source claimed that the school has no teachers’ union.

  • TUC threatens strike over pension scheme

    THE Trade Union President (TUC), Mr Bobboi Kaigama, has threatened to shut the economy should there be any case of corruption or fraud in the new Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).

    Kaigama, who is also of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), said despite checks against abuses in the new CPS, labour would not hesitate to declare a strike should there be fraud.

    “We will not hesitate to shut the entire space if this happens,” he added.

    Also, employers in the private sector are kicking against a further hike in their contributions to the scheme, arguing that it would affect them.

    Director-General, Nigeria Employers Consultative Association,  NECA, Mr Segun Oshinowo, said employers were over-burdened by various financial commitments, including payments to the Employees Compensation Act (ECA), insurance for employees, among others.

    He said the proposed review would have a ripple effect on the economy, adding that it could trigger layoffs of workers in organisations that may not be in position to accommodate further increase.

    “The argument is that it will become unsustainable. We should appreciate the fact that the scheme is to make life easy for employees. What of the ripple effect that will come with the increase in the percentage contribution? Some employers may want to reduce workforce because they cannot sustain it. Even government is finding it difficult to comply with the 7.5 per cent contribution, that is why they are having cold feet.

     

  • ASCSN seeks special allowance for education officers

    The unit chairmen of the 104 Unity Schools and the six zonal coordinators rose from a meeting in Abuja with a 10-point communiqué seeking progress in the service of education officers and other staff of the schools across the country.

    In the communiqué signed by their union leaders, the National President and General Secretary of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), Comrades Bobboi Bala Kaigama and Alade Bashir Lawal, the meeting endorsed the memorandum submitted to the National Public Service Negotiating Council I (NPSNC I), by the union leadership, requesting the Federal Government to approve 15 per cent of the consolidated salary as special allowance to Education Officers teaching in the Unity Colleges.

    Also, the demand contained in the memorandum for the restoration and upward review of Science Teachers Allowance and the Boarding House Master/Mistress Allowance inadvertently omitted from the salaries of affected teachers since 2007 during the transition from the manual payment system to Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) and which have not been restored since then despite series of demands by the Association. We enjoin the National Leadership of the Union to pursue the demands until they are implemented.

    The meeting also commended the leadership of the association for presenting another memorandum in respect of payment of end-of-year incentives approved by the Federal Government for civil servants.

    “We support the position of the association that the payment should be extended to all civil servants at the headquarters of the ministries as well as outstation staff and that the disbursement of the incentives should be based on grade levels to ensure fairness, equity, and justice.”

    The civil servants called on the Federal Ministry of Education to convey and thereafter institutionalise a quarterly meeting as agreed with the Union more than two years ago.

    “It is surprising that the quarterly meeting has not been summoned by the Management of the Federal Ministry of Education despite constant reminders by the leadership of the association.The essence of the platform is to ensure that latent labour issues capable of truncating industrial peace in the Ministry including the Unity Schools are identified and amicably resolved in line with contemporary trade union best practice.”

    The officers reiterated their demand that officers who have duly sat for promotion examinations and passed should be paid their promotion arrears and properly placed in their appropriate grade levels to boost their morale. They said it was demoralising for officers to be made to undergo rigorous promotion examination, and be denied their promotion after they excelled in the exercise. “This practice is unacceptable and should be discontinued,” they said

    The communiqué further said that the meeting frowned at the increasing cases of victimisation of officials of the Association by some Principals in some of the Unity Schools.

    (1)”These officials are indiscriminately transferred to other places using framed up charges. It noted that the action of these Principals is against the existing agreement between the Association and the Management of Federal Ministry of Education on the need to allow units officials exhaust their tenure in their schools where they are serving before being posted to other schools. This agreement is in line with ILO Convention 87 and 98 on rights to organise and collective bargaining. The meeting called on the Federal Ministry of Education to reverse these punitive postings in the interest of industrial peace and harmony in the Unity Colleges.”

    On the purported withdrawal of some members of the association, to join the Nigeria Union of Teachers, the meeting said, as senior federal civil servants employed by the Federal Civil Service Commission, the Unity School teachers are “bonafide members” of ASCSN, which has always stood by them in times of their trials and tribulations including saving their jobs when it waged a relentless battle against the Federal Government which had concluded plans to sell the Unity Schools to private individuals.

    “We, therefore, disassociate ourselves entirely from any individual or group which purport to claim that Unity Schools teaching staff are members of Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT). The NUT which is the umbrella body of primary and secondary schools teachers employed by the state governments is advised to steer clear of Unity Colleges henceforth in the interest of industrial peace in the schools and concentrate on improving the welfare of its members, the abysmal failure of which has led to the exit of secondary schools teachers from its fold to form the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS).

    “Only recently, the Basic Education Teachers also pulled out of the NUT and formed Basic Education Staff Association of Nigeria (BESAN). Both the ASUSS and BESAN have publicly stated that the NUT has patently proved incapable of promoting the welfare of its members which was why they had no option but to withdraw their membership,” the communiqué stated.