EX-DSS SPOKESPERSON, OGAR SUES FG OVER SACK

Former Spokesperson of the Department of State Service, DSS, Marilyn Ogar, has dragged the Federal Government before the National Industrial Court, NIC, sitting in Abuja, over the abrupt termination of her employment by the President Muhammadu Buhari led administration. Ex-DSS spokesperson, Marilyn Ogar Ogar who formerly held sway as the Deputy Director in charge of Public Relations at the DSS under ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, was on September 3, 2015, demoted and compulsorily retired by the Federal Government. She was sacked alongside 44 other top directors in the security agency, who were beneficiaries of a promotion exercise that was carried out by
Jonathan’s administration in March last year. Ogar’s elevation to the rank of a deputy director followed a commendation by ex-President Jonathan who was impressed with her public enlightenment campaigns on anti-terrorism. However, shortly after his election victory, President Buhari fired the then Director General of the DSS, Mr. Ita Ekpeyong, and appointed Lawal Daura in his stead. Upon his assumption of office as DG of the DSS, Daura, immediately demoted all the personnel that benefited from the promotion exercise that was okayed by ex-President Jonathan, even as he summarily retired Ogar. The promotion was said to have been done with little regard to due process and extant rules guiding such exercise. Prior to her retirement, Ogar was reportedly redeployed to Maiduguri, Borno State, after her demotion. Her ordeal was perceived in some quarters as a consequence of alleged partisan role she played towards the build up to the 2015 general elections. Meantime, in the suit she lodged before the NIC, the former DSS spokesperson insisted that she was illegally removed from office. Ogar, through her lead counsel, Mr. Ahmed Raji, SAN, is praying the court to set aside her purported demotion from Assistant Director to Chief Security Intelligence Officer. Besides, she wants the court to declare that her employment with the DSS, “has statutory flavor and same may only be lawfully determined strictly in accordance with the relevant provisions of the public service Rules”. In her originating summons, Ogar further prayed the court to not only nullify her sack, but to also reinstate her with all her ranks, salaries and benefits. Moreover, she is asking the court to determine whether she is a public officer and whether she can be lawfully demoted, sacked or retired by the defendants. Joined as defendants in the matter were; the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, the DSS, as well as its DG, Daura. Already, the President of the NIC, Justice Babatunde Adejumo has assumed jurisdiction over the suit which is expected to come up for hearing on Thursday.