Resume work or face dismissal, Sheriff threatens striking PDP workers

Factional Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ali Modu-Sheriff, yesterday ordered the workers at the party’s National Secretariat to resume work or face dismissal.

He said the workers’ decision to stay away from work was a breach of the party’s terms and conditions of employment.

A statement by the Acting National Publicity Secretary Bernard Mikko, said the workers’ engagement in partisan politics was unfortunate, a situation he described as an act of indiscipline.

The workers had on Monday addressed a press conference where they declared that it was unsafe for them to resume work due to several reasons.

They cited the violent disturbances at the PDP National Secretariat, the leaders’ breach of the party’s Constitution, as well as the Appeal Court’s judgment and pending case at the Supreme Court as their reasons.

The statement reads: “All staff of the PDP National Secretariat who have not resumed in their duty posts should immediately go back to work. This notice serves as another opportunity for them to explore the magnanimity of the National Chairman, Ali Modu Sheriff and resume duties in line with the directive by the National Secretary, Prof. Wale Adewale, after a meeting of party’s National Working Committee (NWC).

“Failure to heed the call would attract disciplinary procedures. The PDP Establishment Manual stipulates that the secretariat officials should be apolitical and they are deemed to be conversant with these terms and conditions of their employment.”

Sheriff condemned recent statements credited to some members of staff, which showed them to be involved in the process of determining the choice of the party’s leaders.

“Members of the PDP Welfare Association and indeed all committed staff of the secretariat are neither on trial nor involved in any crisis or litigation that necessitated their forming any political or legal solution to the crisis.

“Sheriff and the entire NWC are committed to making the party to realise the dreams of its founding fathers and should be supported to do so,” the statement added.
GUARDIAN

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