20th March 2023
The President
Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN)
National Secretariate
Abuja
Nigeria.

Attention: Secretary General, ASCSN

Recall some years ago precisely 2018, some members of ASCSC-FIRS reported certain ugly developments with respect to the relationship between staff and Management of FIRS. We did this because the Unit Executives were helpless and overwhelmed in challenging some of the obnoxious and toxic management’s decisions on many important staff matters. Unfortunately, we all knew how our grievances then were swept under the carpet unattended to.

Despite this however, we patiently waited hoping that the ugly relationship would be reversed following the emergence of the new leadership of FIRS in 2019. It is sad to report that we were better off under the previous regime, some of whose decisions were challenged in 2018, than we currently are at the moment. We are aggrieved because certain rights and privileges of staff are gradually being taken away without recourse to Human Resources Policy Document. The Union leaders of ASCSN-FIRS Unit have completely lost the confidence reposed in them by all members and staff of FIRS. They have lost touch with the reality of events in FIRS. The Unit Excos could no longer have meaningful conversations and constructive engagements with FIRS Board and Management, hence the dignity of staff in FIRS is in jeopardy. We have no other places to seek protection against the toxic working environment in FIRS except you, Sir.

We have received reports from many colleagues that have suffered various forms and degrees of injustice and maltreatment including but not limited to;
relocation/redeployment allowance, unpaid duty tour allowance, working hazards without compensation, loss of lives during promotion exercises, unnecessary anxiety and pressure due to inadequate vacancies amidst surreptitious recruitments into the system, promotions denials and/or delays with attendant unpaid promotion arrears, destabilized mental and psychological state of minds of staff and general well-being of staff. The rigor and depression of staff arising from the inconclusive 2022-2023 promotion exercises are so much left to be desired. As a result, the staff productivity is at the LOWEST as this has impacted negatively on the tax revenue collection performance for the first quarter of 2023 tax year. Many employees have expressed fear of losing their jobs and/or being victimized with punitive redeployment if they ever speak out against these abuses.

Note that just last week when it was reported that the outstanding 2022-2023 promotion list would be approved by the Board to put an end to all the shenanigans that characterized the promotion exercises, a memo was sent to all staff that some categories of candidates for the promotion should submit themselves for a written examination after three (3) attempts by FIRS Management to conduct Computer-Based Test (CBT) for the same promotion. In view of this, we conclude that the memo has further justified our position that the Management lacks competence and character to conducting promotion examinations for its staff under a free, fair, credible and conducive environment.

As members of this association, we believe that the National Secretariat of ASCSN and other relevant authorities have certain responsibilities to ensuring that all FIRS staff are treated fairly and with dignity. It is therefore imperative that urgent action is needed to address these issues going forward.

We plead that you prevail on FIRS Board and Management to suspend the written examinations scheduled to hold on Thursday 23rd March 2023, while the results of the last CBT already submitted for consideration by the Board and Management be reviewed and approved as promotion list for the remaining 2022 and 2023 promotion exercise.

We shall not hesitate to honor your invitation to shed more lights on these lingering issues facing all FIRS staff should the need arises.

Thank you.

Aggrieved FIRS Staff

Cc:
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation
The Minister of Finance & Economic Development
The Executive Chairman, FIRS
The President of the Senate
The Speaker of the House of Representatives
Head of Service of the Federation
The President, Trade Union Congress
All Staff, FIRS.

Sign the petition:

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar yesterday left Nigeria for political campaigns in the United States of America.

In 2018, amidst talks that he cannot visit the US, Atiku had in company of the former Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki and others visited the US.

The visit to the US was significant as it would dismiss all doubts that Atiku cannot travel to the US, a source said.

According to sources, Atiku is commencing a weeklong electioneering campaign in the US, where he would be meeting Nigerians and business community during the visit.

As part of his programmes and engagements while in the US, he would be meeting with Nigerians in Diaspora as well as with PDP members in North America.

He would also meet with top Nigerian business leaders based in the US and later meet with young Nigerian professionals in the Diaspora, among other meeting with some business community.

All efforts to speak with his media advisor, Paul Ibe was abortive as his phone was not reachable.

Atiku had three week ago flagged off his electioneering campaign in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state. It was followed with the Kaduna campaign and last Saturday had another campaign in Benin, Edo state.

All Atiku’s presidential campaigns witnessed a huge turnout of party supporters.

That notwithstanding, the governor of Rivers state. Nyesom Wike and his loyalists comprising the governor of Benue state, Samuel Ortom, Governor of Abia state, Okezie Ikpeazu, Oyo state governor, Seyi Makinde and Enugu State governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi have continued to boycott his campaigns.

In a tentative presidential campaign timetable, Atiku is expected back to the country on Monday and by Tuesday, November 1, 2022, it would be the turn of Ekiti State, while the campaign rally in Ondo State would hold on Wednesday November 2.

The campaign train would move to Katsina State on Saturday, November 5, while Borno State would play host to the party on Wednesday, November 9 with Gombe hosting the party on Thursday, November 10.

Kebbi State edition of the campaign rally is scheduled to hold on Saturday November 12, while Atiku Abubakar and his team would head for Zamfara State on Sunday, November 13.
It would be the turn of Kwara State on Monday, November 14, while the team would be in Lagos State for Lagos Business School Lecture on Tuesday, November 15, among other arrangements.

A pro-Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on the platform of The Democrats Group (TDG), has called for the resignation of Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue state as Chairman of PDP Zoning Committee.

The committee is charged with responsibility of providing the party’s direction on the contentious issue of zoning.

The group made the call Monday in Abuja, through a statement signed by its Director-General, Asiwaju Abidemmy Elegbede.

The group while justifying the demand for Ortom’s resignation alluded to what it termed the “Benue governor’s incestuous political relationship with Governor Nyesom Wike.

According to the group, Ortom is a beneficiary of Wike’s N5 billion grant, among other beneficiary state governors.
Moreover the group noted that it was no coincidence that Governor Wike gave Benue state another N500 million and proceeded to declare his intent to run for president in the state.

The group also raised issues of the declaration of support by the Benue governor for governor Wike’s presidency as aberration and tantamount to undue favouritism.

While calling on the party to provide equal opportunity to all aspirants, the group in the release said, “the Benue governor having openly expressed his position on zoning by clamouring for a Southern president, should recuse himself as the Chairman of the 37-man PDP Zoning Committee or the party leadership relieve him of his position as chairman and membership of the zoning committee.”

Whether his hailers want to hear this or not, there is something not adding up in the public mannerism of the Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike and pretending that all is well, will only cheer him up on the current path of self destruct that he is dangerously cruising on.


How can a man who is supposed to be a leader by the reason of the office he occupies be the one quarrelling with almost everybody around him? Wike openly insults Rivers state traditional rulers at public functions only to go up north and dobale for the Emirs there.

He ridicules people from certain ethnic nationalities in the state including the Kalabaris, Ogonis, Etches and Oyigbos amongst several others. Even in his opposition PDP, he has arrogated to himself the office of know-it-all and the careless talking governor of PDP governors. Haba!

At the slightest chance, he says unprintable things against his predecessor, Chibuike Amaechi and has made the battering of the man who did so much for him a usual pastime.

Wike should be told in the language he understands very well, which obviously is Ikwerre that he is using his own mouth to destroy whatever acceptability he has from Rivers people and even to lots of people from outside the state.

He can keep denying, but truth is that it is now strongly believed in the PDP that the serial uncouth utterances of the Rivers state governor is beginning to depict his desperation to plug himself in the party’s presidential ticket as a haven knowing he will soon finish his tenure as governor and become an ordinary citizen that Rivers people can ask questions concerning accountability in expending state resources under his watch.


Why is Wike spending Rivers money travelling around the country, what is he consulting for? What could he have been telling the governors of the states he has visited?


When he said recently that he is committed to doing anything that will ensure PDP returns to power in 2023, “and begin once again the process of rebuilding the nation after years of All Progressives Congress (APC) poor governance,” he was correct. But that was just a part of the story. The other part which he did not say was that he is doing everything possible to force himself on the PDP ticket come 2023.

True as he said, the outcome of the party’s presidential election will shock many.

His words: “People should watch, there will be a shock as far as PDP convention is concerned. People should watch what is going to happen. People like to underrate so many persons and it is not good in politics.”


As he said, the PDP will not give its presidential ticket to any candidate who will serve only the interest of the wealthy few in Nigeria. This is as he revealed that some desperate politicians are already scheming for a candidate who will not serve the interest of the many, rather the interest of just those of the wealthy few.

According to him, “No amount of gang up can make PDP to give somebody who will want to run election for the interest of some big men, and not for all Nigerians. Anybody who wants to be candidate of PDP must be candidate for the interest of Nigerians.”


Is it not irrational to affirm that the PDP will work with any candidate who picks the presidential ticket while at the same time he keeps on making undecorated remarks at some of the presidential hopefuls of the party especially those he perceives as obvious threats?


It is expected that if Governor Wike has a presidential ambition himself or is supporting someone else, he should be focused on advocating for such aspirations, rather than always throwing gratuitous attacks on aspirants he perceives as threat to his immoderate ambition.


Today, there are 13 PDP governors in the country. Who made Wike the chief spokesperson of the party or even the PDP Governors’ Forum? Why is Governor Wike the only one always talking about the 2023 election and consistently throwing jabs at all and sundry in the party?


Why does Wike think that he can talk for the delegates of the party? As far as the primary election for the PDP presidential ticket is concerned, Governor Wike has only one vote. He therefore has no right to think and act on behalf of esteemed delegates of the PDP.


Wike should simply mind his business and refocus his energy on his ongoing consultations across the country for his presidential ambition and/or covert campaign for his preferred candidate the shock soon to be unravelled. He would do himself more good by working on his public demeanour and focusing on his own consultation and unfolding his political and socio-economic blueprint.


It is becoming obvious that it is for lack of what to tell Nigerians that Governor Wike continues to haul insults and diatribes against whoever he perceives as a threat to his ambition including Amaechi, traditional rulers and key political stakeholders in Rivers state and across the country. This should stop!


He needs to be reminded that his “achievements” at the Universal Basic Education (UBEC) which was well captured and documented is still being kept in view by the appropriate agencies and so he should advice himself as usually said to senior military officers.


It would be recalled that the first time Wike was nominated as a minister under the presidency of His Excellency Goodluck Jonathan; there was a public outcry about the then president nominating a character with unprintable names as a member of the Federal Executive Council. We dare say that it is a shame that by his conduct up till now, and especially on his uncouth vituperation against all and sundry particularly his predecessor, Amaechi, he is only confirming what people at the national stage assessed him to be.


In the first instance, how did he even become a minister of the Federal Republic? Now we are ready to tell him that his truancy has been tolerated for a very long time and that it is not cowardice on the side of Rivers people to have kept quiet in his messing up Amaechi and his government just that some of us are more polished and better groomed than the local Rumueme village boy.


He has always ranted with the chant that Amaechi did not make him a minister. Yes, for known reasons, that’s correct but we dare Wike to tell the world how he became the preferred candidate on the list of candidates nominated by the then governor Amaechi. If he doesn’t, we may be compelled to say it, mark my words!

That issue of his becoming a minister is actually where the main issue between him and his predecessor lies. He is still nursing that wound and hell bent on paying Amaechi back in whatever coin. Wike does not forgive take it or leave it!


And that’s why he is also still finding it so difficult to forgive Atiku since 2019 PDP presidential primaries in Port Harcourt, despite Atiku’s warm-hearted moves towards him after the convention. He is still feeling humiliated and out on a revenge mission. How can a man who says he believes in the God of heaven carry on like this?


This same man keeps creating internal crisis in the PDP, but accuses every other person but himself of such. The earlier he takes the counsel to stop playing Almighty god in the affairs of human beings, the better for him and his politics. This is my wise counsel from the creeks!

Senior Fyneface writes from No 3D Elelewon Street, GRA II, Port Harcourt and can be reached via senior_fyneface@yahoo.com