The staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) have locked up the commission’s building in protest of a court which ordered the reinstatement of Mounir Gwarzo as the director general of the commission.Gwarzo had been suspended by Kemi Adeosun, former minister of finance, over allegations of corruption and abuse of office.
He was accused of collecting severance package worth N104.85 million while still in service in violation of the civil service rules.
However, the industrial court recently ordered his reinstatement on grounds that the minister lacked powers to suspend him since he is not an employee of the commission.
He said that the minister, in the absence of the board, only had supervisory power, which does not include disciplinary power to suspend the DG.
Sanusi Kado, justice of the industrial court, held that it was only the permanent secretary in the ministry of finance, on the directive of the president, who had the power of suspension and thus ordered his reinstatement.
Irked by the judgment and in expectation of Gwarzo’s resumption on Monday, the workers opted to seal the entrance to the commission.
