… elected state ASCN chairman
Odahiekwu Ogunde, Yenagoa
Bayelsa State chapter of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria has elected the Chairman of the Trade Union Congress, Bayelsa State, Comrade Laye Julius, as its new leader.
Speaking after his election at the ASCN conference hall in Yenagoa, the state capital, Julius urged other associations to borrow a leaf from the association and allow peace to reign in their different unions.
He lamented the infighting and bickerings in the labour movement in the country, saying that so many labour unions were in court for litigations.
He described ASCS as a topnotch association that should be emulated by other trade unions in the country.
Julius said: “In labour establishment, ASCS is called ‘Council 1’ because that is where you see the head of service, permanent secretaries, accountant generals and high profile officials of government.
 “The essence of leadership is service. It is the people that will decide who will serve them, so it’s not like you are going to be a king or a ruler.Â
“So, if the people say that they appreciate you,but for now, hold on, we feel the other person has the capacity to serve us, you just wait.
Moreover, election is held every four years. If you still believe you have something to offer, you just have to wait instead of engaging in unnecessary bickerings.
“I have been in the exco and for the past years, I have been the Vice Chairman. You can see the building we have here.
I was part of the committee that purchased this land. There are a lot of things I have in mind that we should do.”
He said the organisation placed much premium on training of personnel but his administration would change the narrative to make it all-inclusive.
He stated: “Over the past eight years, what has happened is that every year, chairmen and secretaries are trained.
But this time round, we will pick like 50 administration officers and next year we pick 50 accountants.
By so doing, we will be able to bridge the gap to make people feel the impact because it is their dues they are using.Â
“In addition, if you are a labour leader and you are struggling for welfare, if your workers are not well motivated, I think the whole solidarity is nothing.
So we will look at their welfare. If they have not been receiving the minimum wage we will ensure that they start receiving from next month.”