ASCSN Leadership: Okon group disobeys court order, bars president Bola-Audu from accessing office

By Vivian Okejeme Abuja

Some members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ASCSN), led by one Tommy Okon, on Wednesday, bared the President of the Association, Innocent Bola-Audu, from gaining enterance into the Abuja secretariat of the association.

Mr Bola-Audu, with his supporters had headed to the ASCSN office to resume duty as the National President following his recent reinstatement by an order of court.

The National Industrial Court sitting in Abuja, had on July 9, 2024, voided the purported suspension of Bola-Audu, and subsequently ordered his reinstatement as the authentic President of ASCSN till when his tenure will be completed.

In the judgment delivered virtually,

Justice Oyewumi Oyebiola, held that the suspension of Bola-Audu by the Central Working Committee of the ASCSN and his subsequent expulsion by the National Working Committee was “unlawful, illegal, null and void and of no effect whatsoever”.

The court reasoned that Bola-Audu ought to have been reinstated as the President of ASCSN after a High Court of Federal Capital Territory, Maitama, had dismissed all criminal charges filed against him by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).

“The 3rd defendant (Tommy Okon) cannot continue to act as the acting President but can return to his position as Vice President of the union wishes, the court stated.

Meanwhile, tension was high as the gate of the office complex of ASCSN was under lock and key with armed policemen and some members loyal to Tommy Okon inside.

Locked outside of the office, were a large crowd of ASCSN members loyal to Bola-Audu, heavily armed policemen too, and newsmen.

Reacting on the situation, Babatunde Adewusi, lawyer to Bola-Audu, expressed dismay at the way the police handled the chaos.

“The President of ASCSN Innocent Bola-Audu is here to occupy his office following his reinstatement by the National Industrial Court on July 9, 2024.

“But in total disobedience to the court order and disrespect for rule of law, some persons have decided to take laws into their hands by refusing the President access to his office.

“The people in question are not in doubt of the court judgment. The armbit of that judgment says he is now the President of the Association. It is a declaratory judgment.

“To begin to say enforcement is to try and create another situation out of it.

“It is absurd that the President of the Association wants to access his office and you stop him; that was why the police has been invited to give him that protection to allow him enter his office. Now, certain persons have decided to hold the office into ransom.

“This is where the police should look at, and not at enforcement. Nobody is talking about enforcement here, let us not get it twisted.

“What they are doing inside is a contravention of the judgement. It constitutes contempt to the judgment of the court. The court also made an order of perpetual injunction restraining any person from interfering with the performance of his duty.

“As much as the police has the duty to preserve law and order, they also have the duty to respect the judgment of the court. Now, the idea of police asking for a bailiff is to set a different trajectory, and I think, that will throw the entire polity into chaos.

Also, speaking, Bola-Audu did not hide his feelings about the way the police approached the issue.

“These people escorted me to the office but we’re denied access, and there was nothi6the police could do about it.

“The DSP, the ACP, all their senior officers came, they did not even border to respect anybody.

“Honestly, if the police had done the right thing, we would not be here. The police refused to invite them out and they locked me outside, for what, Bola-Audu wandered.