Unions dare NiMET over continuous stay of seconded staff after contract expiration

The Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations civil service and Recreational Service Employees (AUPCTRE), National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) and Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), have threatened to shut down the headquarters of Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET) in Abuja, over continued stay in office of some staff after expiration of their contracts. The affected staff were seconded to the Agency some years ago.

They are asking management to within the next 72 hours, disengage the staff or face industrial crisis in the Agency. The unions had on September 6, 2021, petitioned the director-general of the Agency,  Bako Matazu, calling his attention to the matter and asking him to act according to Civil Service rules  within 72 hours.

One of the officers alleged to have been involved is Mohammed Sabo, General manager,  Human Resources, who was said have joined the Agency from Uniabuja from level 10 but allegedly assumed office at NiMET on level 17.

“It has come to the notice of the unions that some principal officers of the Agency whose appointments have expired on the 31 of August, 2021, are still parading themselves as staff of the Agency, a development that is obviously an aberration in the civil service.

” In accordance to the public rule, section 020501 (b) (iv), which stated clearly that secondment of an officer to the service of another government, or approved body or recognised organisation at his own request shall be for a maximum period of two years in the first instance after which the officer must apply for an extension, seek for transfer or return to his former post. The appropriate committees and the Federal Civil Service Commission must approve all extensions. The total period of such secondment must not exceed four years.

“Therefore, any extension or further stay in office of the affected officers should be directed to hand over all documents and properties of government in their possession and vacate their respective offices within 72 hours of serving this notice, as they are no longer legitimate staff of the Agency. Any action contrary to 3 above, the unions would not be responsible for any break down of the industrial peace as presently being observed in the Agency as the unions are not ready to allow any form of bad precedent to creep into the system anymore”. , the unions said in their petition.

The petition was signed by comrade Ayuba Simon for AUPCTRE, Hycent Okunbor, NUATE and Romeo Okerafor for ANAP.

Kelly Obinwanne