A frontline Youth Group in Abia State, Progressive Youths For Good Governance has warned of the legal implications of fielding a Civil Servant (Dr. Okereke Eze Aru) as the Candidate of the Labour Party in Arochukwu in the November 2nd Local Government Election in the State.
Rising from its emergency meeting in Abia Hotels Umuahia on Sunday, October 6th, 2024, the Group alleged that some Stakeholders of the Labour Party, including Chief Nkem Okoro are misleading the Governor of Abia State, Dr Alex Chioma Otti who is the Leader of the Party for their selfish interests.
It could be recalled that the Mayor of Arochukwu LGA, Chief Joe Eze Aru and a few Labour Party Stakeholders in Arochukwu had in a video circulated online declared one Dr. Okereke Eze Aru (a lecturer in Micheal Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike and the immediate younger brother of the current Mayor of Arochukwu LGA) as the candidate of the Party in what it claimed looked like a beer parlour gathering in the absence of other aspirants of the Labour Party for the same position.
The Group noted that the Federal Government of Nigeria had issued a circular dated May 5, 2022, titled, “Clarification on the provision of public service vis-a-vis the Supreme Court judgement as it relates to the participation of civil servants in partisan politics.” following a Supreme Court judgment on the same subject matter.
The circular reads in part, “The Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation has been inundated with requests for clarification on the provision of Public Service Rules vis-à-vis the Supreme Court Judgment as it relates to the participation of civil servants in partisan politics.
“In the light of the above, it has become necessary to draw the attention of all civil servants to the legal opinion of the Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice (HAGF&MJ) on this matter. In his letter, Ref. No. SGF/PS/HCSF/210/11 dated 26th November 2018, HAGF &MJ asserted, inter Cilia that neither the 1999 Constitution nor the Supreme Court has authorized civil servants to engage in partisan politics. The provisions of Rules 030422 and 030423 of the Public Service Rules (2008 Edition) were not nullified by the Supreme Court, hence, they remain in force and binding on all civil servants seeking to participate in nomination exercises or party primaries’.
“It concluded that: ‘provisions of Rules 030402(g), 030422 and 030423 of the Public Service Rules (2008 Edition) should be enforced and ‘that the attention of civil servants (be drawn) to the fact that the Supreme Court judgment in INEC vs Musa did not set aside or nullify these provisions of the Public Service Rules, hence, they must be complied with by any civil servant who wishes to seek nomination or participation in party primary elections’.
“Accordingly, in the overall best interest of neutrality, harmony, integrity and development of Nigerian Civil Service, all civil servants are strongly advised to be guided by the provisions of PSR and the legal opinion of the Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation/Minister of Justice on the subject.”
From the foregoing, the group alleged that the said candidate of the party, Dr. Eze Aru did not resign his position as a Federal Civil Servant before the stipulated period as he received his September salary from the Institution (MOUAU). It explained that they were aware of the move that was made to backdate his resignation but explained that his September pay slip had made a mockery of such illegal arrangements.
Speaking through its Secretary, Mr Ikechukwu Okore, the Progressive Youths advised the Governor and the Labour Party not to succumb to the plot by the current Mayor of Arochukwu LGA, Chief Joe Ezearu to replace himself with his immediate junior brother, Dr Okereke Eze Aru both of who it claimed are not in touch with the Grassroots as the candidature of the ‘Aspiring Mayor Lecturer’ would not only drag the Labour Party into unnecessary legal issues afterwards but also lead to a disastrous outing of the party in the November 2 and future elections in the state.
The Progressive Youths For Good Governance (PYGG) noted that it would give its support to a ‘proper Labour party candidate ‘ to ensure that the candidates of other parties (especially the PDP) that are working underground to come back to power in Arochukwu. It says that it would continue to be the watchdog of the Youths of the State as well as continue to support the good efforts of the Governor, Dr Alex Chioma Otti in transforming the State.
