Panic, as FG to sack, demote workers in NAMA
*Union petitions FG, alleges tampering of retrenchment list
Two weeks after the Federal Government carried out major pruning of workforce in the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) leading to the demotion of its top managers; the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) is set to be hit with similar exercise.
The Federal Government is said to be worried about the over bloating of the agency in view of the dwindling revenue and what it considered as ‘a big fraud’ in the placement of Directors, General Managers, Deputy General Managers and those whose elevation was accelerated by a former Minister of Aviation.
The appointment and elevation of fresh graduates to the position of Assistant General Managers, and to grade levels 12 and 14 was said to be the height of impunity and has thus brought bad blood among the workers.
Consequently, the Ministry had a taken a look at the situation and felt there was the need to apply the same action to remedy the situation.
A source in NAMA who spoke to WoleshadareNews on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media said already, there is panic in NAMA as many who came in ‘through the back door and who know that they are not qualified for the position they currently hold’ are to be asked to go.
The source expressed concern over the impending sack or demotion in the agency, saying the affected officials found themselves in a situation that was not of their making.
Meanwhile, the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) has petitioned the Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika over his inability to fully implement the Margaret Eyo-Ita committee’s recommendation on proper placing of workers in the agencies.
The union are alleged that some of the names initialled pencilled down for demotion or sack were deliberately removed by some powerful people in government, submitting only 29 names it claimed were wrongly engaged and placed in high positions above their qualifications since 2012 when over 3000 people were brought in FAAN.
In the petition entitled, “Re: Implementation of Proper Placement in Aviation Parastatals-Not Yet Uhuru with reference number NUATE.GS/HMS.FMT 16/ signed by NUATE Secretary-General, Olayinka Abioye, the group lauded the Minister for reducing the number of General Managers and others in FAAN, but insisted that the Minister was yet to fully implement the proper placement demanded by the union.
NUATE alleged that some names were deliberately removed before the commencement of the exercise in FAAN, raising the alarm that this single failure could dent the entire exercise.
The petition read in part, “We hereby demand a complete review and or that in the alternative, the nominal roll used for the last exercise should be checked in such a manner that those employees who were not captioned in the said nominal roll should be assumed to be non-staffers of FAAN and declared as ghost workers.”
In its earlier petition to the Minister dated October 15, the union equally submitted its observation of the wrong and irregular employment and placement of officers at NAMA, saying 29 personnel from NAMA were wrongly placed by former Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah.
The union listed Clara Aliche, with staff number 3258 and appointed as a Director in September 2012. It argued that it was was wrong for the government to have placed her on that position as she had no prior public service experience.
Aliche is currently facing trial at the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos over her alleged complicity in N6.5 billion fraud in NAMA. She had since pleaded not guilty as hearing of the case continues on November 7, 2016.
Also said to be unqualified for their current positions are Oki Paul, the company secretary, also said to lack public service experience; Kuku Olubunmi Oluwaseun, a General Manager that was placed above normal entry level and without prior public service.
Others are Arisa Chinwe, Marie Odo Chiaka, Irabueke Obiefule, Okoro Chukwudi, Aliyu Usman Yahya, Okechukwu Mariam Ogorchi, Coker Aishat, Omoniwa Enekole, Olubunmi Ola, Opiah Henry Ikechukwu and Agha Chinyere.
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