Delta: Association Of Senior Civil Servants Threaten Showdown Over Check-off Dues

The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, Delta State chapter has drawn a battle line with the state accountant general over check off dues, The Leadership reports.

The leadership of the union in the 44 units in the MDAs of the state therefore called on the Accountant General to recover all the check off dues so far released to the erstwhile Bolum-led executive.

Trouble started after the botched election of the association last year due to constitutional breaches when a seven man caretaker committee was set up by the congress to run the affairs of the union pending when a credible election would be conducted.

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Following the botched election, a representation was made to the office of the accountant-general to stop further release of the monthly check off dues of the union to the immediate past executive committee led by Comrade Martins Bolum, whose tenure reportedly expired on 23rd August, 2021.

However, findings showed that the Accountant General had consistently released the check off dues to the out-gone executive led by Bolum contrary to the request by the union.

At a point, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa directed the office of the attorney-general and commissioner for justice to examine the matter and come up with positive recommendations which had long been concluded and submitted to the office of the Head of Service for further necessary action.

The union expressed shock that up till now, the Head of Service had not implemented the recommendations.

The association has threatened that if the Accountant General goes ahead to release the January check off dues, the union will have no other option than to massively mobilise workers and occupy the Accountant General’s office until every Kobo of the union is recovered.

When contacted, Bolum said that check off dues belong to the national body and not the state chapter, adding that the check off dues is not released to him but to the national office of the association but that only a percentage of the money is sent to the units of the association.

According to him, no law permits the money to be released to states and the state has no right to oppose the national body and that the union has only one certificate of incorporation, hence all check off dues are remitted to the national office.