Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Captain Adamu Biu has debunked the story of his rumoured arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Capt. Biu told journalists last Friday in Lagos that while it was true that operatives of the anti-graft agency were at the Lagos head office of the Council last week, it was not true that he was arrested or detained.
He confirmed that the EFCC was acting on a petition that was written by someone who claimed to be a staff of the agency, but explained that the petition was not as a result of any fraud, but in connection with grievances over certain administrative actions.
On account of the petition which according to him, was not signed and does not have any name, the EFFC came over to the Shippers’ Council and took some documents away after speaking with some of the management.
“They (EFCC) came while I was away on official assignment to Greece and United Kingdom, interviewed some members of management”, he added saying that the Council’s top officials were asked to report and they all did and were consequently asked to go.
“I wasn’t quizzed; I was not even in the country. When I came back on Wednesday, I went to the EFCC on Thursday, questions were asked and I answered all. I was asked to go”, he explained further.
The Shippers’ Council boss told journalist that the crux of the said petition was the staff right- sizing policy which was implemented by the Council’s board. The policy according to him was to put the right people in the right place.
He stated that the petition might have been written by some staff who were aggrieved by the outcome of the implementation, even as he added that before it was implemented, it went through all levels of approval, that is, from the board to the minister of state, water transportation.
The first step, according to him, was the action of a reform implementation committee which checked the records of all employees; junior, senior and management. It was the same committee that recommended the creation of two additional departments and severance of staff who could no longer fit in, he disclosed further.
Apparently, the EFCC did not know that there was board and ministerial approval; he told the journalists who had thronged the Council’s head office for further details of the rumoured arrest.
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