Workers seek copyright commission DG’s removal for alleged impunity

Senior staff of the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) yesterday called for the removal of its Director General, Afam Ezekude, for alleged maladministration and misappropriations of funds.

The workers under the auspices of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), an affiliate of Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), also demanded Ezekude’s immediate investigation and prosecution. 

The association, which protested against the DG’s alleged maladministration and embezzlements of public funds on Monday, March 12, 2018, said Ezekude’s continued stay in the commission was affecting the growth of creative industry in the country.

He noted that the director general had reduced the NCC, which is an enforcement agency set up to protect and promote the creative industry, to an agency for looting of funds. 

He also alleged that poor welfare scheme resulted in the death of 15 employees of the commission, stressing that they would continue their protests until their demands were met.

In a statement signed by Ihuma and the unit’s Secretary, Olatunji Kurile, the association said their grouse include lack of payment of staff allowances since 2011, lack of working tools and illegal renewal of Ezekude’s tenure, as well as the director general’s possession of two letters of tenure renewal from two different government offices.
 
They noted that the association had petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Department of State Services (DSS) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC) with evidences of corruption against Ezekude.

But in his reaction, Ezekude dismissed the allegations, saying the claims were unsubstantiated and false.

Speaking with The Guardian on telephone, he said the allegations were previously investigated by the EFCC, DSS and ICPC but declared them unfounded.