Abuja – Some members of the Joint Federal Staff Cooperative Thrift and Loan Society on Thursday in Abuja, staged a protest over bad leadership of the organization
The members comprise workers from Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the protesters carried placards with inscriptions “Enough is enough for fake loans;’’ “We are tired of land scam,’’ and “Antai hand over to new executives we are tired of your government.’’
They registered their protest by blocking the entry and exit gates of the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, popularly known as Radio House, Abuja, to prevent their Chairman, Mr Antai Sunday, from leaving the premises.
One of the protesters, Mrs Nissi Chukwu, a staff of the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, alleged that Sunday had been chairman for the past 17 years.
“He (Sunday) is not doing well because the process of getting loan is always very difficult.
“He will ask you to go and look for a guarantor just to collect a loan which can take you three or four months.
“Even a lot of people paid for land for the past 10 years and up till today, they have not received the land and the money cannot be refunded.
“With all his dubious character, we have gone to court. We have taken a lot of measures to make sure that he is forced out of that position.
[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”70560″]
“We have conducted election and new executives have been elected and for him to hand over, he refused.
Another member, Mr Wale Senowo, a Grade Level 10 officer, said N20,000 was being deducted from his salary monthly and remitted to the cooperative society account.
Senowo said that the society, under the leadership of Sunday, offered him and others land which they paid for and got the relevant papers but have not been able to access the land.
Hajia Zainab Obaje, who has been a member of the society for 10 years, said she was tired of the Sunday-led executive, alleging mismanagement and lack of trust.
Obaje insisted that old executives must hand over to the newly elected ones.
NAN learnt that while the protest was ongoing, Sunday invited Police from the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), who enabled him to get out of the premises.
Meanwhile, the timely intervention of the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mrs Ayotunde Adesugba, who appealed to the protesters to refrain from taking the law into their hands, also helped to calm the frayed nerves. (NAN)