Yuguda Dismisses Abbass over Facebook Post

Yuguda Dismisses Abbas over Facebook Post@@@ Yuguda, the Bauchi State governor, deserves to be on Guinness Book of Record for being the first known governor in the entire world to dismiss a civil servant over sharing a post on Facebook. This inglorious record was set yesterday, Monday 19 November, when Abbas who was until then on suspension formally received a termination letter from the office of the Head of Service. The letter read thus:@@@ TERMINATION OF APPOINTMENT@@@ I am directed to refer to the civil service commission's letter No. CSC/PRO/S/001/T.V dated 1st November 2012 to convey the commission's approval of your suspension and termination of appointment from Bauchi State Service with effect from 10th October, 2012 as your service is no longer required, please.@@@ Signed@@@ Ibrahim shehu@@@ For: Head of Service.@@@ The letter was expected given the vindictive nature of the regime, which, surprisingly, came to power partly as a result of the Yuguda's tales of victimization in the hands of his bosom friend and predecessor, Muazu. But it didn't take much time before the world came to know who is more quickly given to vendetta between the two.@@@ From the content of the letter, it appears that the government is trying to avoid controversy. Thus it failed to provide any reason for the termination other than the mere expression of discretion to keep or fire Abbas. It is however questionable whether under our civil service rules a termination can be slammed at any civil servant without resort to due process.@@@ Instead, he was gagged and kept under police detention for ten days before he was granted a bail by the court. The filing of his case before the court was itself dubious as it violated every letter and spirit of the penal code regarding defamation. It was, therefore, easy for the Nigerian Bar Association to throw spanners into the charges and the case was summarily terminated. Having failed in the courts, the administration is resorting to impunity and arbitrariness. Neither in court nor before the committee he appeared did anyone requested Abbas to provide any evidence to support the allegations on the post he copied from another page and shared. In law, such evidence provides a complete defense in any case of defamation. @@@ Bauchi State government is a public body that can be challenged before the appropriate court of law if it violates the rules that govern its operations. The attorneys of Abbas should explore the possibility of appeal. Doing so will greatly leap the cause of justice.@@@ The irony is that I have never seen where the government denied the allegations of corruption labelled against the governor in the Facebook post as the happenings are common knowledge in Bauchi. Neither did it challenge Abbas to provide any evidence. The world, however, will one day know who is telling the truth: Facebook or Yuguda. We are not in a hurry.@@@ I will still reiterate the advice I once gave to my brother Yuguda. He should shun injustice and vendetta. They are characteristics of a weak leader than cannot tolerate criticism. One expects that a person that will victimize someone for a simple Facebook posting will be strong enough to face Boko Haram. But Yuguda simply walked away from its threat to kill him and literally abandoned Bauchi for a hideout in Abuja. This is very much unlike Fulani. I hope he listens this time. It is just two years left before everything becomes history. Many before have come to Bauchi and left.@@@ As for Abbas, I will advise him to remain patient and steadfast. He should follow his case to its logical conclusion. As he does so, I hope the public will support him by expressing its sympathy and encouragement.@@@ Aliyu