Police Deployed at SEC as Arunma Oteh purges Enemies

Heavily armed police officers in riot gear yesterday took over the premises of the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) to preempt what Huhuonline.com learnt was a planned peaceful demonstration by the workers' union of the SEC to convey their

displeasure to the Director general, Arunma Oteh following a series of rash promotions and redeployment of staff, in what sources told huhuonline.com, was a massive with-hunt of enemies of the embattled DG.

The heavy security presence did not hamper the staff from going about their normal business, but sources said the police presence was an act of intimidation against the workers' union from airing its grievances. Huhuonline.com learnt that the union had last Friday held a meeting where the issue of outstanding promotion and the rash new redeployment exercise were discussed.

Although nothing filtered from the meeting, it was learnt that the union mapped out strategies to convey its displeasure to management for the feet-dragging in implementing the recommendations made by the former Board of the SEC to promote some staff members. But Huhuonline.com was told that for yet to be explained reasons, Oteh insisted that those already recommended for promotion must write a placement test.

Instead of implementing the recommendations, Oteh announced a vast redeployment targeting those she considered her enemies, who had led the opposition to her return after she was placed on administrative leave in the wake of allegations of corruption following the House probe on capital markets.

But the Communications Adviser to the Director-General of SEC, Mr. Obi Adindu, said the promotion issue was being addressed by the appropriate organ of the commission, while the redeployment was done in good faith and in the best interest of both the commission and affected workers.

'The redeployment was done in the interest of the staff. People need to move around all the units to be able to understand the workings of the commission properly. Those redeployed have been given their letters and the DG has met with them and shared with them the considerations for the action, which is in their best interest. Also, they have been given till September 30, 2012 to hand over properly before moving to their new departments and duty posts,' Adindu said