Alleged Lopsided Appointments, Promotions At ITF, Mischievous, Spurious, Satanic – Unions

The Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government-Owned Companies (SSASCGOC) and the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE) in the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), have described allegations of lopsided appointments and promotion at the Fund as not only mischievous but satanic and devilish.

The Unions in a press statement issued by Kayode Alakija and Othman Balarabe, President and Secretary General of SSACSGOC respectively, said that it was spurious and quite laughable that a Director General described by most stakeholders’ as ‘the architect of Modern ITF’ and ‘Mr Infrastructure,’ who has virtually transformed the ITF both in terms of its ability to actualise its mandate and physical infrastructure can be accused of ‘outright diversion of funds and mandate deviation’.

They explained that it is public knowledge that since Sir Joseph Ari assumed office as Director-General, he has initiated several skills Acquisition programmes that have equipped thousands of Nigerians with relevant technical skills, who were empowered with start-up kits to start their businesses.

The Unions also said it is equally on record that since his appointment in 2016, as DG, Sir Ari has completed and commissioned over ten projects namely; ‘The Mechatronics Workshop and Administrative Block at the Industrial Skills Training Centre (ISTC) Kano; Katsina Area Office Complex with an Administrative and Vocational Wing; Lagos Island Area Office Complex; Modern Library Complex and Central Stores in the Headquarters complex; Classroom Blocks at the ITF Staff School, Headquarters Auditorium and Gymnasium and Access road and; Intro-tech Laboratory at the ITF Staff School.

SSASCGOC and AUPCTRE which stated these while reacting to an alleged protest letter by a group on the aegis of the Coalition of Northern Human Rights Groups (NHRG) to the office of the Minister of Trade and Investment, stressed that every activity, be it employment, promotions and appointments and others at the ITF under supervision of the Director General, Sir Joseph Ari, have followed due process which accounts for the industrial harmony that has prevailed in the Fund since his appointment.

The two Unions explained that while it was not in their place to hold brief for the Director-General and Management of the Fund, who are capable of defending their integrity that is being assailed and tarnished, they as representatives of the ITF workforce are constrained to react to the malicious publication whose purpose is to sow discords and cause disaffection within the Fund.

The unions said their reaction is based on their firm understanding of the operations of the Fund and their deep appreciation of what the DG, Sir Ari has done since his appointment in 2016 and the implication of the story on the image and reputation of the ITF.

On the allegation of ‘nepotism, lopsided appointments and promotion of workers and monetization of the processes’ as published by Sahara Reporters, the Unions stressed that it was an attempt to ‘give a dog a bad name in order to hang it’ particularly against the backdrop of the fact that since the assumption of office of Ari as the DG, the ITF has operated transparently and in keeping with his pledge to heal wounds and work as unto God in the discharge of his duties.

It stressed that every activity, be it employment, promotions, and appointments among others has followed due process which accounts for the industrial harmony that has prevailed in the Fund since the appointment of Sir Ari as Director General.

Also commenting on the recruitments that the ITF Management conducted some years back, the Unions stated that it was obvious to everyone associated with the ITF, that even before the assumption of office by Ari, the Fund was short-staffed owing to retirements and other sundry reasons.

They further said that the DG, therefore, commenced the process of recruiting staff to plug the gaping manpower gaps in a transparent process that involved the Federal Character Commission (FCC), the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, and the ITF Governing Council.

The Unions stated; “It is, therefore, preposterous that several years since the recruitment exercise, the DG would be accused of ‘lopsided appointment and bias recruitment’ as if he had sole responsibility for such an exercise, or rode roughshod over the other parties to populate the Fund with ‘indigenes of Plateau State and environs’ as the story suggested.

“Indeed, instead of the suggestion of ‘running the agency as his private estate with the bulk of recruitment into the agency reserved for indigenes of Plateau State and environs,’ the ITF was commended by the Federal Character Commission for adherence to laid down processes in the recruitment exercise.

“There is nothing that suggests the desperation of the medium to impugn the name of the DG than the assertion of “promotion in the agency has been monetised and, in most instances, based on religious and ethnic considerations”.

“As staff of the Fund, we wish to state that the promotion exercises are conducted with the supervision and active participation of the supervising Ministry and the Governing Council based on clearly defined parameters in line with the Civil service rule and condition of service.

“The transparency of the Fund’s promotion exercise has been further enhanced by the introduction of the Computer Based Test (CBT) under the leadership of Sir Joseph N. Ari.

“Having witnessed the process of our promotion exercise, the FMITI adjudged our exercise as one of the best and therefore, directed the Fund to prepare a template that will be adopted by other agencies under the Ministry.

“Consequently, the issue of lopsided appointments alleged by the publication is not only mischievous but equally satanic and devilish.

“Interestingly, the last recruitment made by the Fund was in 2019, and the necessary approvals were obtained, and the quota system was duly followed in accordance with the directive of the Federal Character Commission. From 2019 to date, no other recruitment.

“We, as the Unions, will be first to complain should there be any attempt to subvert the process in favour of others. Anybody familiar with the ITF will testify that the ITF Unions are reputed for their activism.

“Regarding allegations of ‘fraudulent award of contracts in the Fund, without recourse to the civil service rules (Sic)’, we state without fear of contradiction that all processes concerning the award of contracts in the ITF are followed to the letter.

“For a medium that hypes its investigative journalism credentials, we are amazed that it did not cite any instance of such alleged infractions. Indeed, because of the transparent adherence to procedures and due process in its affairs, the ITF was ranked among the first from over 500 agencies of the Federal Government that were surveyed in 2020 in terms of service delivery, transparency, and integrity,” the two Unions said.

SSASCGOC and AUPCTRE noted that the House of Representatives Committee on Industry, during an oversight function visit to the Fund, commended the Director-General and Management of the Fund for industrial harmony as well as for achieving so much in the face of paucity of funds.

The two in-house Unions in the ITF, therefore, called on members of the public to discountenance the spurious allegations which are nothing but tissues of lies and untruths that have no basis in fact.

Alakija and Balarabe said that Sahara reporters ought to have done well by cross-checking the information they got from what is clearly a faceless and non-existent organization before rushing to publish.