SEC crisis: Workers back FG on suspension of Gwarzo as SEC DG

FEDERAL workers under the auspices of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria on Wednesday thrown its weight behind the Federal government over the suspension of Mr Mounir Gwarzo as Director-General Securities and Exchange Commission.

The workers have also called on President Muhammadu Buhari, to urgently constitute Board of parastatals and agencies of government to check the impunity in the system by their chief executives.

Head of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Isaac Ojemhenke, while briefing newsmen in Abuja said the suspension of Gwarzo was long overdue.

He said the Association was in full support of the suspension of Gwarzo, on the  allegations of corruption, saying this would enable the administrative panel of inquire investigate and determine the culpability or otherwise of the embattled DG of SEC.

He said: “Capital Market, as we are all aware, is very sensitive and thrives on integrity. As the DG of the Apex regulator of the Nigeria Capital Market who currently has several corruption allegations levelled against him, it is extremely important that he clears his name from these allegations for the purpose of integrity in the Capital Market”.

He alleged that the sponsored report about Oando Plc, Forensic audit as being responsible for Gwarzo, suspension was a deliberate and diversionary tactic to divert the public attention away from the weighty allegations bothering on corruption.

Ojemhenke, said: “The corruption allegations against Mr Gwarzo, should be treated on its merit without any intermingling with any alleged interference by supervising ministry.

“For the past two years, Mr Mournir Gwarzo has fought the labour union in SEC and did everything possible to obliterate the Union to enable him have free chance, without any checks. This is evidenced in the corruption allegations.

“ASCSN wishes to express our profound gratitude to President  Muhammadu Buhari, for his timely intervention in the Securities and Exchange Commission by suspending Gwarzo as DG SEC. The suspension was long overdue.

“The jubilation in the Commission that greeted the announcement of Mr Gwarzo’s suspension was more than the one in Zimbabwe when Mugabe was removed from power.

“The Union rejects in its entirety the attempt being made in some quarters to restore Mr Gwarzo back to office.

“The issue of Mr Gwarzo’s suspension from office is very clear as it bothers on serious breach of the rules governing parastatals of government.

“The attempt being made to change the narrative by bringing in the issue of forensic audit of Oando is neither here nor there. The right thing has been done be government and we support the action taken,” he said.