Staff Members of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) have abandoned
their offices after a former acting secretary of the sacked CCB
board, Abiodun Folasade Kolawole, allegedly stormed the Abuja
secretariat with armed policemen, demanding to be reinstated in the
bureau.
According to Ochingbo Edwin, who introduced himself as the
secretary of the Joint Negotiation Council (JNC), Mrs. Kolawole
came into the premises at about 11 a.m. on Tuesday with some
policemen and attempted to pull down the door of her former
office.
Reacting to the development, members of the bureau’s staff union
shut down the whole secretariat, insisting that she would not be
allowed to resume her former duties as secretary.
Mrs. Kolawole previously served as acting secretary of the Sam
Saba-led CCB board. She was sacked along with other members of the
board by an Abuja Federal High Court in April 2017, as their
tenures had expired in 2015.
Prior to the court judgment that relieved the former board
members of their duties, Mrs. Kolawole allegedly resigned from the
bureau over disagreements with other members of the board.
However, a source told SaharaReporters that after the court
ruling, Mrs. Kolawole wrote a petition to the Office of the
Secretary to the Federal Government asking that she be reinstated,
claiming she was intimidated out of office.
The JNC secretary, Mr. Edwin, was puzzled Mrs. Kolawole’s
demands for reinstatement, as she was paid entitlements after
resigning.
“She was queried, she responded to the query and was
subsequently sent on suspension but she got angry and instead of
going on suspension, she retired from service. She has been paid
her due benefits and she has gone home.
“But then she turned around and went to the SGF and came with a
black market letter that she should be reinstated,” Mr. Edwin told
our correspondent.
Mr. Edwin explained that only the board has the constitutional
right to reinstate or recruit people into the bureau, but since the
last board was sacked by the court, another board has not been
constituted.
“The board of the code of conduct bureau is not in place, so you
(SGF) cannot be tell anybody to reinstate. The people who have such
power as given by the constitution of Nigeria are only the board
members, and the board is not in place at the moment. They do not
have any business giving her any letter,” he said.
Furthermore, a staff of the bureau that is familiar with the
reason for the fallout between Mrs. Kolawole and other members of
the board said she was accused of diverting some funds through the
bank account of her son, who is also a staff of the bureau.
Another member of the union who spoke to SaharaReporters decried
her reinstatement, adding that the “bureau will be set on fire if
she comes back.”
“If that woman returns it will be disastrous,” he said
Contrary to the claims of the union, Mrs. Kolawole told our
correspondent over the phone that she did not attempt to pull down
the door of her former office.
“I was supposed to report to my office this morning. When I got
to the secretariat there was this labor union protest. For the fear
of my life, for me not to be rough handled, I stayed away until
after the whole protest went down. For the security of my life, I
went to the DPO’s office in the secretariat there and reported and
he followed me with his men.
“I was supposed to then see the most senior director because I
was not allowed to enter my office by the labor union. So, I tried
to see him and his office was locked, so I went back,” she said
over the phone.
When asked about the stolen funds allegation against her and her
son, she simply said the matter is being handled by the office of
the SGF.
Staff Members of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) have abandoned
their offices after a former acting secretary of the sacked CCB
board, Abiodun Folasade Kolawole, allegedly stormed the Abuja
secretariat with armed policemen, demanding to be reinstated in the
bureau.
According to Ochingbo Edwin, who introduced himself as the
secretary of the Joint Negotiation Council (JNC), Mrs. Kolawole
came into the premises at about 11 a.m. on Tuesday with some
policemen and attempted to pull down the door of her former
office.
Reacting to the development, members of the bureau’s staff union
shut down the whole secretariat, insisting that she would not be
allowed to resume her former duties as secretary.
Mrs. Kolawole previously served as acting secretary of the Sam
Saba-led CCB board. She was sacked along with other members of the
board by an Abuja Federal High Court in April 2017, as their
tenures had expired in 2015.
Prior to the court judgment that relieved the former board
members of their duties, Mrs. Kolawole allegedly resigned from the
bureau over disagreements with other members of the board.
However, a source told SaharaReporters that after the court
ruling, Mrs. Kolawole wrote a petition to the Office of the
Secretary to the Federal Government asking that she be reinstated,
claiming she was intimidated out of office.
The JNC secretary, Mr. Edwin, was puzzled Mrs. Kolawole’s
demands for reinstatement, as she was paid entitlements after
resigning.
“She was queried, she responded to the query and was
subsequently sent on suspension but she got angry and instead of
going on suspension, she retired from service. She has been paid
her due benefits and she has gone home.
“But then she turned around and went to the SGF and came with a
black market letter that she should be reinstated,” Mr. Edwin told
our correspondent.
Mr. Edwin explained that only the board has the constitutional
right to reinstate or recruit people into the bureau, but since the
last board was sacked by the court, another board has not been
constituted.
“The board of the code of conduct bureau is not in place, so you
(SGF) cannot be tell anybody to reinstate. The people who have such
power as given by the constitution of Nigeria are only the board
members, and the board is not in place at the moment. They do not
have any business giving her any letter,” he said.
Furthermore, a staff of the bureau that is familiar with the
reason for the fallout between Mrs. Kolawole and other members of
the board said she was accused of diverting some funds through the
bank account of her son, who is also a staff of the bureau.
Another member of the union who spoke to SaharaReporters decried
her reinstatement, adding that the “bureau will be set on fire if
she comes back.”
“If that woman returns it will be disastrous,” he said
Contrary to the claims of the union, Mrs. Kolawole told our
correspondent over the phone that she did not attempt to pull down
the door of her former office.
“I was supposed to report to my office this morning. When I got
to the secretariat there was this labor union protest. For the fear
of my life, for me not to be rough handled, I stayed away until
after the whole protest went down. For the security of my life, I
went to the DPO’s office in the secretariat there and reported and
he followed me with his men.
“I was supposed to then see the most senior director because I
was not allowed to enter my office by the labor union. So, I tried
to see him and his office was locked, so I went back,” she said
over the phone.
When asked about the stolen funds allegation against her and her
son, she simply said the matter is being handled by the office of
the SGF.