BUHARI'S MINISTER IN SALARY SCANDAL☆Former Aides drag him to Industrial Court☆Demand N100 Million damages -

BUHARI’S MINISTER IN SALARY SCANDAL
☆Former Aides drag him to Industrial Court
☆Demand N100 Million damages

One of President Muhammadu Buhari’s flamboyant ministers, Alhaji Abdur-Raheem Adebayo Shittu, Minister of Communications, has been dragged to the National Industrial Court over salary scam,unpaid emoluments totalling twenty-one million, five hundred thousand Naira (N21,500,000.00) only, by two of his former aides.

The aides, Razaq Olubodun and Victor Oluwadamilare, former Personal Assistant (PA) and Special Assistant (SA) Media respectively in two separate suits filed on their behalf by the same counsel, Adewale Lawal Esq. are praying the court to order the payment of their outstanding salaries and allowances which the Minister denied them while serving under him.

While Olubodun, in his own suit before the Abuja Division of the National Industrial Court (NIC) numbered NICN/Abj/132/2019 is seeking to recover from the Minister the sum of N9.8m allegedly paid alongside the Minister’s salaries and allowances for 24 months, Oluwadamilare in his suit, NICN/Abj/133/2019 is claiming N11.7m being his outstanding salaries and allowances for 28 months.

The duo are seeking the order of the court to declare that the non-payment of full salaries and allowances to them for those periods as wrongful, illegal and unconstitutional and that the Minister should be ordered to pay them their unpaid salaries and allowances according to the Federal Government directive for payment of aides to the Minister of Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Equally, the claimants are asking for an order on the defendant to pay the sum of N50m aggravated damages to each of them and to also pay them their full taxed costs of the prosecution of the suits.

See also FRSC BEGINS EID EL KABIR SPECIAL PATROL OPERATIONS, DEPLOYS 35,000 PERSONNEL, 736 PATROL VEHICLES,120 AMBULANCES, 25 TOW TRUCK AND 204 BIKES

The claimants averred that by their letters of appointments as PA and SA respectively, they were informed that their monthly emolument would be “in line with the existing practice” for paying PA and SA to Hon. Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Though, the claimants noted that the above stated fact was indicated in the ‘paragraph 3′ of their letters of appointments dated 23rd Nov. 2015, the defendant “tried to make the salaries and allowances of PA and SA to Hon. Minister to look like his own personal affairs. The defendant tried to indicate this by an Internal Memo, seven months after the claimants’ appointments”.

While Olubodun claimed to have received just N1m all through his period of service from the Minister, Oluwadamilare disclosed that he was paid thrice to the tune of N2.3m in his 28 months of service under the Minister, yet, the defendant was alleged to have collected all salaries and allowances belonging to them from the FGN and refused to forward or remit same to them.

The claimants recalled that based on the circular from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) dated 27th July, 1999, it indicated in paragraph 1a that the salaries of PAs and SAs to the Ministers are Grade Levels 12 and 16, steps 4 respectively.

Barr. Shittu was accused by the former aides of applying intimidation, harassment, draconian and Machiavellian approach and threatened to take them to the court where he would ensure that they are frustrated and would still not pay them the salaries in contention each time they demanded for their rights while serving under him.

See also Rochas Okorocha, Senator representing Imo West has warned the State Governor, Emeka Ihedioha to stop harassing his wife and children. Okorocha, who is the immediate past governor of the state said harassing his wife and children by the Ihedioha-led state government was unacceptable. The lawmaker’s warning was contained in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on media, Sam Onwuemedo. He challenged the governor to take charge as the leader of the State and halt the incessant harassment and abuse of his wife and children by his senior appointees. The statement reads: TThugs believed to be working for the secretary to the State Government, Chief Onyeaguocha invaded a mechanic workshop around the Orji flyover and took away a vehicle undergoing repair and owned by the daughter of the former governor, Uloma Nwosu nee Okorocha. “Even when she later sent her staff with the particulars of the vehicle they took away, to show that the vehicle does not belong to the State Government and to show that she bought the vehicle long time ago, they threatened to beat her and detain her and never cared to look at the particulars of the vehicle. “If Ihedioha’s government wanted anything from any of the former governor’s children or wife they could do so through the Police or DSS in the State. Invading their houses or impounding their private vehicles even from the mechanics for any reason, is barbaric and should be frowned at.’ “We want to make this appeal and ask Governor Emeka Ihedioha to take charge as the governor of the State and halt the incessant harassment and abuse of the wife and children of the former governor of the State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha by his senior appointees and their foot soldiers. Specifically, Governor Ihedioha should call Uche Onyeaguocha and his thugs to order and stop them from their harassment and abuse of the wife and children of the former governor. “Chief Ihedioha should not create an ugly history or set a very bad precedence as the first governor of the State who took delight in harassing the children and wife of the man he succeeded as governor. “Chief Ikedi Ohakim never harassed or abused the children and wife of Achike Udenwa he succeeded as governor. Owelle Rochas Okorocha for one day, never harassed or abused the wife and children of Chief Ohakim who he succeeded also as governor. Ihedioha should follow those examples. “His appointees have been harassing and castigating the children and wife of the former governor even at public functions and in the media. This is not good for the Office of governor. They can criticize or malign Rochas Okorocha on any issue which they have been doing, but to begin to harass the children and wife, is unacceptable to us and indeed, to all decent men and women in the society. ” Thugs believed to be working for the secretary to the State Government, Chief Onyeaguocha invaded a mechanic workshop around the Orji flyover and took away a vehicle undergoing repair and owned by the daughter of the former governor, Uloma Nwosu nee Okorocha. ” Even when she later sent her staff with the particulars of the vehicle they took away, to show that the vehicle does not belong to the State Government and to show that she bought the vehicle long time ago, they threatened to beat her and detain her and never cared to look at the particulars of the vehicle. If Ihedioha’s government wanted anything from any of the former governor’s children or wife they could do so through the Police or DSS in the State. Invading their houses or impounding their private vehicles even from the mechanics for any reason, is barbaric and should be frowned at. “It is also important to remind those who have got appointments for chewing election result sheets that no human being has the monopoly of thuggery or lawlessness and the most dangerous situation could arise when people are pushed to the wall. It also gives the wrong impression that those who want to be Secretary to the Government of the State should only need to tear or chew election result sheets. Okorocha’s wife and children never committed any crime by remaining in the State after he had left as governor, when the children and wives of those before him are all at overseas. “They are here because they believe in the State and Owelle has an addiction for the good of the State. Finally, people should not see Rochas Okorocha’s penchant for peace and tolerance as weakness. A word should be enough for the wise.”

Alleging that the defendant lives luxurious life and owns properties in choice areas in Abuja, the claimants disclosed that they have been subjected to immense sufferings, ridicule and untold hardship as a result of the denial of their rights by the Minister.

No date has been fixed for hearing of the case filed on the 20th of this month in which both the PA and SA presented 35 and 40 statements of facts respectively.

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BUHARI’S MINISTER IN SALARY SCANDAL☆Former Aides drag him to Industrial Court☆Demand N100 Million damages

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