Police Take Over Complaint Commission to Stop Workers’ Strike

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Monday, July 14th, 2014

Staff of the Public Complaint Commission (PCC), were taken by surprise when resumed office in Abuja on Monday and saw heavily armed policemen as well as other security agencies, taking over the Commission’s premises, apparently to forestall the planned nationwide strike scheduled to start today.

The strike African Examiner investigations revealed was informed by the petition written by the workers last week to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) which opposed what they described as “illegal appointment” of Mr. Peter Nwakpa Nwafia, as the PCC Secretary.

The aborted industrial action AE also learnt was meant to protest against irregular payment of salaries, lack of working facilities and poor allowances.

Consequently, the workers had in a protest letter signed by the Secretary General, Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), Isaac Ojemhenke, gave a 21 –day ultimatum to reverse Nwafia’s appointment.

They workers alleged in the letter a copy of which was made available to African Examiner that Mr. Nwakpa, who up till date, who receives salaries as a Director in the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, in addition to what he gets as Secretary to the PCC, has boasted that, as a former Director in a Federal Ministry, nothing would be achieved from the conciliatory meetings at the instance of the workers.

Similarly, the letter raised alarm that due to the staff demands, there was plan to victimize their leaders and threat to sack some of the workers.

The staff in a chat with our Correspondent in Abuja said they were shocked with the heavy presence of the police around the commission complex. They explained that they were disappointed with the development and this informed why they stayed around.

Meanwhile, African Examiner gathered from the workers that a parley was ongoing between their leaders and officials of the Federal Ministry of Labour.