Law Reform Com. Sacks 7 Over Pay, Fraud Spotted – THEWILL Investigation

ABUJA, August 22, (THEWILL) - The Nigeria Law Reform Commission (NLRC) has sacked seven members of its staff for daring to ask for their entitlements and other benefits, THEWILL can report authoritatively.

THEWILL learnt that trouble started on December 24th, 2008 one clear day to Christmas festivities when workers and their leaders numbering eight under the aegis of Nigerian Civil Service Union (NCSU), Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) and the Nigerian Union of Civil Service Typists, Stenographic, and Allied staff (NUCSTSAS) under the Joint Negotiating Council (JNC) approached the Commission’s Deputy Director in Charge of Administration, Mrs. M. Makwashi to press for their entitlements, which had tarried for about six months.

The Deputy Director took offence alleging threat to her life when the Union Leaders entered her office adding that the matter under review was beyond her office. She alleged also that the Union Leaders barricaded the entrance to her office making her look like a prisoner apart from that fact that she was superior to all of them, which technically amounted to insubordination.

Documents available to THEWILL indicated that an earlier meeting to resolve the issue of overtime payment and other welfare packages was held between the Union and Management of the Commission on September 24th, 2008, three clear months to the events of 24th December, 2008 where they agreed to far reaching decision as to the payment of the entitlements to the affected staff but nothing concrete came from the side of Law Reform Commission management, prompting the December 24, 2008 encounter with Mrs. Makwashi.

THEWILL learnt further that instead of the management to look into the grievances of the staff with a view to solving the genuine presentations of the Union, they set up a committee of Inquiry on allegations of threat against the Deputy Director, which was no doubt diversionary.

Investigations by THEWILL reveal that four senior members of staff, namely: Miss Didi Odigie, Deputy Director Chairperson, Mr. T. Ogbebila, Assistant Director, Mrs. A. Onwuasigwe, Assistant Director and Miss Sola Alayode, Senior Legal Officer, Secretary to the Commission Inquiry were brought to determine the extent of participation of the seven members of the Union in the alleged threat and to recommend necessary action in accordance with the Public Service Rules.

The outcome of the panel was the termination of the appointment of the seven members of staff on February 20, 2009, who union leaders were asking for their entitlements as contained in the relevant civil service rules and regulations.

A letter of termination to one of the affected Union leader reads:" I am to inform you that the commission at its 319th meeting held on Tuesday, 16th February, 2009 has terminated your appointment with immediate effect as your services are no longer required by the commission. You are to be paid three months salary in lieu of notice. Please surrender any Commission’s property in your possession". The letter was signed by the Secretary of the Commission, Mrs. Abimbola Coker.

Ironically, the Commission on the 9th of February, 2010 after one year of the sack of the staff wrote on the same position taken by both management and Union to the Minister of Finance requesting for N35 MILLION (Thirty- five million) to settle overtime allowances of the staff of the Commission for the period between January and December, 2009 attaching the nominal roll of the affected staff and the letter was signed by the same Deputy Director in Charge of Administration, Mrs. Murna Makwashi on behalf of the Chairman of the Commission who alleged threat to her life and whose allegation was the basis for the sack of the staff.

THEWILL severally sought the position of management through personal visits and calls but were all rebuffed by some management staff who did not want to be dragged into the matter.

It was also gathered from some staff of the commission who pleaded anonymity that the high handedness of the Secretary of the Commission has made relationship between Union and management very rough, a feature that runs through all other top members of the commission.

THEWILL learnt also that most of the affected staff have spent between 10 to 15 years in the service, who ordinarily are qualified for both gratuity and pension.