Members Ask Court to Sack President of Civil Service Union

•  Cite refusal to step down after retirement

Tobi Soniyi in Abuja

The Unit Secretary of the Nigeria Civil Service Union,‎ Directorate of Technical Cooperation in Africa Unit, Benson Ekasa, and the Deputy National President of the union, Menele Nzidee, have applied to the National Industrial Court to stop the union’s National President, Mr Kiri Mohammed, from further parading himself as president of the union.

In an originating summons filed by their lawyer, Mr Stephen Apeh, they asked the court to declare that Mohammed had retired from the union and that by virtue of such retirement, he could no longer remain in office as the union president.

They also asked the court to declare that the office of the president of the Nigeria Civil Service Union had become vacant because Mohammed who still occupied the office had since retired from the Jigawa State Civil Service since January, 2016.

They further asked the court to declare that the continuous stay of Mohammed as the president of the union after his retirement from the Jigawa State Civil Service since January, 2016 was unconstitutional, invalid, illegal, null and void.

In an affidavit deposed to by Ekasa and attached to the originating summons, stated that a letter from the Jigawa State’s Head of Civil Service, dated 26/10/2015 confirmed Mohammed’s retirement date as January, 2016. He attached a copy of the letter as exhibit.

He only averred that membership of the union was restricted to ‎only persons who were in the employment of civil service of either the state of the Federal Government of Nigeria.