Adamawa State police command has warned workers sacked by Gov. Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri last week, to steer clear from holding protests in the state alleging that ‘’a group of individuals are currently planning to truncate the peace being enjoyed in the state.’’
The police warning came less than 72 hours an aggrieved group of sacked workers plan to stage a “peaceful protest” to demand payment of their ten months unpaid salaries and other entitlements.
Adamawa Commissioner of Police, Audu Madaki
A statement signed by police spokesman in the state, DSP Sulaiman Nguroje urged the people to go about their normal activities as the police command reiterated its commitment to maintain law and order.
“The attention of Adamawa State police command has been drawn over a planned protest by some group of individuals to disrupt the peace, the people of Adamawa state are enjoying.
“The command wishes to respectfully advice members of the public to go about their normal businesses and never to do any act or conduct that may likely cause the breakdown of law and order.
” The command further advice that any person or group of persons having grievances should channel it to the appropriate authorities or resort to legal means and not converge on the street, blocking the roads, denying people their fundamental rights to freedom of movement and causing fear into the mindset of the populace. Such will make criminals to hijack the protest and cause violence.
“Members of the public are hereby warned to adhere strictly as police will not hesitate to take necessary action against anyone that violates the laws of the land,” the statement stated.
Earlier, a letter of notification dated February 3, 2020 by the coordinator of the aggrieved public servants , Faisal Baba and addressed to the police commissioner sighted by The Newshawk, read: “All the over 10,000 unpaid civil servants wish to notify and seek for your support to do a well-coordinated peaceful demonstration in quest of our ten months (April – January, 2019/2020) outstanding salaries.
” The movement will kick start from Monday February 10, 2020 at about 9:am. The police roundabout will be our take off point to government house Yola and house of assembly.”
Reactions Trail: We’ll go ahead with our protest, sacked civil servants vow
However when contacted on phone, leader of the sacked workers insisted that they will go ahead with their planned protest, “It is true that the police wanted to give me a letter banning the protest but I refused to collect it.
“We will go ahead with our planned protest and will never be intimidated by any threat.
” The police have threatened to arrest us if we come out for the protest. But we will never back down even if we are going to pay the supreme price.
“The DSS have also asked us to go to court instead of protesting but we told them in black and white that staging protest is within the democratic rights conferred on us by the constitution and we will not allow anyone to take it away from us,” he said.
The Newshawk recalls that the commissioner of information and strategy in the state, Dr Umar Garba Pella, has last week Wednesday said that the state executive council had finally endorsed a white paper report of the committee on regularization of employment and transfer of service.
Pella who made the disclosure shortly after the state executive council meeting, advised those employed between September 2018 – May 2019 to seek fresh employment, as the government no more recognized them as its employees.
“If you know you are in Adamawa and you are employed between September 2018 and May 2019, we are of the opinion that that period, a lot of irregularities took place and that the council today based on the recommendations from the committee which made available the report to us and upon which the white paper was based, it is confirmed that the employment at that period did not follow due process and the advice is that they should seek fresh employment and we are willing to employ.
“We will ensure that regular processes are followed which is in line with the rules so that we can employ them and regularize the process,” Pella has said.
