Policemen have taken strategic positions at the national Secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja, as industrial disputes between the party’s leadership and protesting workers intensifies.
The workers under the aegis of PDP Staff Welfare Committee, and party leaders have been at dagger’s drawn since last Wednesday when a controversial circular signed by the party’s National Secretary, Prof. Wale Oladipo, which conveyed the party’s decision to slash their salary by 50 per cent and reduce the workforce by half was distributed.
They rejected the party’s directive which becames operative on August 1, describing it as obnoxious and vowing to fight it to the end. The workers are also protesting alleged corrupt practices of the party leaders; and have threatened to drag them to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for prosecution.
But the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) has described the workers’ protests as “unnecessary and unfortunate reactions”, vowing to implement the controversial directive to a logical conclusion.
PDP NWC in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, on Tuesday, assured that it is on top of the situation. “The NWC appreciates the concerns of stakeholders and assures members that it will not be deterred in its sworn responsibility to reposition, re-organise and re-structure the party,” the statement reads in part.
According to Metuh, the controversial staff re-organisation exercise is a mere sub-component of the reform process being undertaken by the party and such the internal memo from the office of the National Secretary which provoked the workers’ umbrage still stands.
“The NWC will not be deterred, blackmailed or cowed from taking objective steps necessary for sound political health, astute opposition and general re-organisation. NWC assures members and Nigerians that finances of the party have been handled in line with standard financial regulations governing political parties and the Constitution of the PDP,” it declares.
The statement adds: “Subsequently, as custodians of the PDP Constitution, the NWC will be guided by the provisions of the Constitution in dealing with all matters related to staff, especially schedule IV (staff rules) of the 2012 Constitution as amended.”
By Olisemeka Obeche
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