A fresh insight was yesterday added to the
reason behind the alleged oath of secrecy administered on the staff members of
the national headquarters of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP).
A section of the media had, on Monday,
reported that the National Working Committee (PDP) had forced workers at the
Wadata Plaza office of the party to swear to an oath of secrecy in order to
stem the unauthorised flow and disclosure of information.
LEADERSHIP checks, however, revealed that,
even though the national chairman of the PDP, Dr Bamanga Tukur, had expressed
misgivings about the manner confidential information got to the public lately,
the immediate cause of the PDP’s action was informed by rumblings among workers
at the party’s head office over their unpaid allowances.
A source who is also a
National Executive Committee (NEC) member confided in
LEADERSHIP that the party “frowned at the way workers complained to their
benefactors outside the party office”.
According to him, issues of staff welfare were
internal matters that required “only internal efforts”.
He noted: “For a long time, the national
chairman has been complaining about how information concerning our party get to
the public too quickly as we can imagine.
“It is a thing we have been managing to
control all these days but I think, whether rightly or wrongly, I am not saying
the report about oath of secrecy is correct, but if it happened, I don’t think
it is bad.
“For instance, at one of our informal
deliberations, a senior member -- in fact a leader of the party -- called the
national chairman that some staff of the party had been grumbling over their
unpaid housing allowances.
“You can imagine what such a situation
would look like; it means there is nothing happening within the party that does
not get to the public, including the opposition.”
A staff member of the Finance and
Administration Directorate of the PDP also confirmed that workers’ allowances
for 2012 were yet to be paid.
The female worker placed the least of such
allowances at N550, 000.
“The truth is that some persons actually
complained; I am not one of them, but I know some went to a BoT leader to
report that our allowances have not been paid for the last year.”
But LEADERSHIP’s attempt to get the name of
the “BoT leader” from her was unsuccessful even as she declined to give the
exact sum of her own entitlement.
She said, “I cannot tell you the name of the
person; you know I did not go with those who went to complain; you shouldn’t
even expect me to tell you what I am expected to get as housing allowance; all
I know is that the least person is entitled to get N550,000 minimum.”
Rumblings at the PDP head office reached a
height recently when a senior staff of the Administration department issued a
statement to thank the Tukur-led NWC for “taking care of staff welfare”.
But the statement was hurriedly withdrawn a
few minutes later by the official when some disenchanted staff members
threatened to issue a counter-statement to debunk the one issued by their
boss.
Govs’ Suspension Meant To Enforce
Discipline – Tukur
The chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, has said that the recent suspension of some
governors under the platform of the party was to instill discipline in the
party and not to witch-hunt anybody as speculated in some quarters. Tukur stated
this yesterday during the inauguration of the National Advisory Council of PDP
Project Reloaded in Abuja.
Presenting the inaugural plaque to the
chairman of the PDP Project Reloaded, Alhaji Ibrahim Mantu, Tukur described the
PDP as the only grassroots party that is owned by everybody. The national
chairman reiterated that the party has a constitution which must be embraced by
all. He further added that the PDP under his leadership is committed to giving
Nigerians good leadership, while reconciling aggrieved members without
confrontation and rebuilding the party based on justice and equity.
Responding, Mantu commended the PDP national
chairman for his exemplary leadership and courage in piloting the affairs of
the party since his assumption of office. He said Tukur is the only chairman
that could have suspended PDP governors, adding that no PDP chairman has ever
done it. The former deputy Senate president further said that Tukur was brought
in as the PDP national chairman to restore the lost glory and legacy of the
party.
He described the PDP national chairman as a
detribalised Nigerian and a consummate businessman of international repute,
adding that the group and Nigerians were not surprised with the current
turnaround and repositioning witnessed in the party. He assured that members of
the PDP Project Reloaded will join hands with the national chairman to advance
the fortune of the party, while entrenching democracy and good governance in
Nigeria.
He said the greatest achievement of democracy
in Nigeria is the respect for fundamental freedom which Nigerians have
continued to enjoy under the leadership of President Goodluck Jonathan. Mantu
also described the PDP Project Reloaded as the engine house to harmonize the
good things PDP is doing across the country.
Earlier in a speech delivered by the national
coordinator/CEO, PDP Project Reloaded, Chief Richard Lamai, he said the whole
idea is to cultivate a crop of young PDP faithful or marshals and bring to
their knowledge what the PDP government in power under President Jonathan is
achieving in line with the party manifesto.
“Make them aware of empowerment opportunities
created by this PDP government and how they can take advantage of such, thus
making them stakeholders in this PDP administered government,” he stated.
Source:
Leadership
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