The new National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole on Tuesday told staff of the national secretariat of the party to brace up for the new realities in the party and be ready the changes that will occur in the party in time to come.
While holding a meeting with the staff of the party, moments after taking over from his predecessor, Comrade Oshiomhole took his first decision, sacking a man that has been parading himself at the secretariat for the past four years as Director of Finance of the party.
The Nation gathered that at the moment, the party has only two full-fledged Directors and has not employed any Director of Finance since its inception.
The “fake Director of Finance” identified as Timothy Akojuru was said to have worked with the defunct All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) as Director of Finance.
Before going into a closed door meeting, Oshiomhole has publicly told the workers while taking over that he would improve their welfare and ensure that they were well enumerated, but must work hard to earn whatever they will be paid.
A source who attended the meeting said that the former Labour leader hinted of a possible downsizing of those working in the secretariat as all the staff must have one function or the other to perform.
The source said that Oshiomhole told the staff that a situation were drivers for example were more than the available vehicles within the secretariat will no longer be allowed, stressing that all those who have no business working in the secretariat will not be allowed to remain.
The source said when the new chairman asked the “fake Director” what is responsibilities within the secretariat was, he simply said “I’m a director of finance.”
The source said “Oshiomohle was surprised and quickly asked the Deputy National Chairman, Lawal Shuaibu and the National Secretary, Mai Mala Buni to confirm the statement, but none of them could defend him.
“Instead, Sen. Shuaibu was said to have asked him where and how he got his appointment letter, but Akojuru could not provide a satisfactory answer. At this point, the new chairman asked him to leave the meeting or he invites police to arrest him”.
Akojuru was said to have applied for the position of Director of Finance in the secretariat, but has not employed nether was a letter of appointment issued to him, but has remained in the secretariat, reporting for duty on a daily basis.
The former Edo State Governor was also said to have informed the staff that the secretariat, even though a party secretariat will be administered like every other office, stressing that all staff must henceforth report for duty as early as 8.00am when other offices open for business as the current resumption time of between 9 and 10 am.
While assuring staff of better welfare, Comrade Oshiomhole also directed the staff to stop loitering around the secretariat during working hours.
At the time of this report, Oshiomhole was locked in a meeting with members of the National Working Committee and senior staff of the party, with a view to charting the way forward.