The authentic executive of the Delta State Branch of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), has finally settled down for full administrative business having recently taken over, officially, the association’s secretariat which was hitherto seized and occupied by unrecognized Committee inaugurated by a faction since last October after fallout of the election which produced Comrade Bolum Martin Nwachukwu as the branch Chairman. But not without losses, as the association’s properties estimated at millions were allegedly vandalized or stole.
Comrade Bolum Nwachukwu -led Exco has been deemed authentic by the National Secretariat led by its President, Dr. Tommy Okon and the Delta State Government against the opposition Committee.
Earlier in a letter dated April 22, 2022, the Delta State Government through the office of the Directorate of Establishments and Pensions in the office of the Head of Service accorded recognition to Comrade Bolum as the Delta State Chairman of the Association..
The State government based its action on investigations, the Association’s constitution and memos from the National Secretariat of the Association which favoured the Comrade Bolum -led executive, affirming it as the authentic executive.
Bolum and his other elected Executives took over the secretariat located along Mariam Babangida Way, Asaba at about 2.00pm on Friday from the “illegal occupiers”.
When this reporter visited the secretariat, it observed that soon after taking over the secretariat, Comrade Bolum has begun massive renovation on the building and entire secretariat premises which was taken over by weeds and erected illegal structures which defaced the premises..
The former occupants of the secretariat had allegedly ‘vandalized’ the place, hence, a need for the executive to see to the immediate renovation of the entire premises.
Many of the items and properties were allegedly vandalized, broken doors and valuables carted away, 60kva soundproof generator grounded with the parts missing. But the executive hope to start full administrative work in earnest.
According to official who requested anonymity, “what we saw on ground is extremely serious, total vandalization of the association’s properties. People will answer for their actions. It is time for this to stop. It is also time to put an end to the false and unfounded allegations against Bolum Nwachukwu and his exco. Bolum was returned based on free and fair election,” he said on Monday evening.
Other members described the earlier seizure and vandalization of the property of the association as “morally indefensible” and a violation of law and order.
It would be recalled that peeved with the incessant attacks on the Comrade Bolum leadership of the Association and alleged “continued illegal occupation” of its secretariat, the National President of the Association had declared the controversial Committee illegal and persona non grata and ordered it to vacate the secretariat. Apart from declaring it illegal, the leadership was charged for insubordination, exacerbation of division among other offenses.
Secondly, the Delta State government issued a serious warning to the ‘illegal committee’ to desist from activities capable of jeopardizing the civil service rules and went further to out-rightly recognized Comrade Bolum led Executive as duly elected and authentic leadership of the Association in Delta State.
For alleged perceived compromise of the national delegates who were in Asaba last October to superintend and conduct the Branch Executive election, Comrade Emmanuel Egodo led a serious protest, accusing the national delegates of corruption and taken sides for Comrade Bolum emergence.
According to authorities, the protests turned violent, leading to the destruction of the association properties and seizure of the vehicles by the police, but the group denied its involvement and blamed the other actors for the violence.
The protests shook the Association and threw in full blown crisis and legal battles against Bolum-led Executive and the national body. More recent is institution of court case against the Delta State Government and the Nigeria Police who only tried to mediate to avert looming break down or law and order in the State.
The ‘illegal committee’ reportedly catalyzed incipient leadership crisis, involving the Delta State Government, Head of Service, the Nigeria Police, the National Secretariat and State units.
However, with the latest takeover of the Secretariat, members of the Association are now happy and optimistic that their Association has finally freed itself from dysfunctional and corrupt sectarian system orchestrated by the ‘illegal Committee’.
Bolum was meant to take over the reins of affairs of the State Branch since October 2021 as he was immediately endorsed and sworn into office by the national leadership but the resulting crash—exacerbated by opposition’s unwillingness to cooperate with the authentic leadership —has been one of the most devastating in ASCSN’S history.
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