From Isaac Anumihe, Abuja
There are strong indications that those who locked out the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, from her office for two days, to protest the non-payment of N1.2 billion Special Overtime (SOT) allowance, may be transferred to other ministries and agencies as punishment for their action.
Daily Sun gathered that the Minister was highly disappointed with the conduct of the staff, especially those who were her close allies before the fracas. The source also revealed that some of the staff who the Minister personally recognised might not escape the hammer that would soon fall as a result of their undisciplined behaviour.
According to a source in the Ministry, the staff rained abusive words on the Minister when she came to address them. He told Daily Sun that the disoriented workers almost assaulted the Minister, but her aides shielded her from any harm.
It was learnt that the names of the ring-leaders of the protesters are being compiled and they might be transferred to another Ministry or agency of the Ministry.
But the Chairman, Joint Union Council of the Ministry of Finance, Mr. Ade Olaniyi, told Daily Sun that what angered the staff was that the Minister told them that she was not the Minister of Ministry of Finance but the Minister of Nigeria.
Olaniyi also said that the Minister rebuffed all efforts to meet with them or the union executives, adding that the minister equally abused the staff.
“We invited her, wrote all our demands and attached them. We gave her a copy inviting her as a union. On March 16, we gave her another copy inviting her to have a townhall meeting with her so that she can explain better. On May 16, we gave her another one to make us satisfy the labour law but she did not respond.
When we got to her office she was abusing us. Then the staff decided that she must come to address the issues. The most painful aspect of it is that she said that she is not the minister of staff but the minister of Nigeria. That triggered the whole thing.”he said.