Twenty-five members of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) have been quizzed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged corruption.
Convener of the Congress of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (CSCSN), Comrade Andrew Emelieze, disclosed this in a statement issued on Friday.
Emelieze applauded the EFCC for inviting the senior civil servants over alleged corruption, saying that the invitation has confirmed its fears that different industrial unions in the country are corrupt.
He said that some of the union leaders that were questioned are the Kwara State Secretary of ASCSN, Comrade Joseph Meshech and the union’s Deputy Secretary-General, Comrade Apebo Joshua.
Emelieze, however, appealed to the EFCC to do a thorough job and ensure that all union leaders that are found guilty are brought to book.
The statement read in part, “Information reaching us has confirmed the invitation of close to twenty-five staff members of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), an affiliate of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC); over issues of corruption in the trade union.
“Our source also confirmed the interrogation of the Kwara State secretary of the union, Comrade Joseph Meshech. Among those also invited for interrogation include the Deputy Secretary-General of ASCSN Comrade, Apebo Joshua.
“The invitation of ASCSN officials by the EFCC has justified the agitations of some activists in the labour movement in Nigeria, that massive corruption is going on in our different industrial unions. Groups like the All Workers Convergence (AWC) and the Congress of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (CSCSN) have been raising alarm over the rot in the labour movement especially in the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) which has assumed a crisis situation.
“Most, unfortunately, the response from members of the union has been docile and nonchalant, even the media has not given adequate attention to our query over the privatization of the labour unions in Nigeria except for a few radical journalists that have been following our challenge against the labour bureaucracy in Nigeria.
“Most surprisingly is the fact that we also called on the Minister of Labour and his ministry, the Head of Service of the Federation, the TUC, and even some social activists but there was no positive response from any of the aforementioned. Present events have vindicated our agitations.
“We, therefore, call on the EFCC to do a thorough job and ensure that they do not compromise as we are aware that there are lots of petitions against ASCSN in the EFCC and other anti-graft agencies. Other anti-graft agencies are also called upon to swing into action and investigate the corruption in ASCSN. We are also calling on the mass media to interrogate the allegations of corruption in ASCSN.“
