BY SEGUN ADEBAYO, ABUJA – Prospects of staving off an industrial action by staff of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN),on Monday dimmed as the management, headed by Mr Bayo Onanuga, alleged that some disgruntled politicians are behind plans by workers to embark on strike.
In a letter signed by the Board Secretary of NAN, Barr Stella Benjamin, and sent to union leaders today in response to their 21-Day Notice of Strike, NAN management refused to shift grounds on the complaints by the three unions in the agency, insisting that union leaders were privy to all decisions of past and present management on all issues under contention.
On the need to sign the draft conditions of service, the NAN management made it clear that it had forwarded the new conditions of service to the Ministry of Information and Culture for their approval. Recalling that the draft new conditions of service requires huge sums of funds to implement, the Onanuga-led management said paucity of funds has always been the problem.
Accusing the unions of not standing by the truth on all issues under contention, the NAN management team reminded union leaders that the 20 staffers, whose transfer allowances the unions were demanding, were supposed to be sacked for redundancy.
However, the management had to temper justice with mercy by deploying them to new postings. Apart from that, the transferred staff were told that due to paucity of funds, the agency could only afford between N50,000 and N100,000 to assist foot the cost of their movements.
On promotion, the NAN management wondered why unions should be engaged on an issue that was beyond their purview. Apart from reiterating an earlier allegation that some writers were not competent, the management said it was irrevocably committed to engaging writers of competent status comparable with other global news agencies.
But in a response to management, the three union in a letter dated Monday, September 11, 2017, denied being used by disgruntled politicians, insisting they are acting in the best interest of their members.
Below is the letter of the unions to the NAN MD:
The Managing Director 11/9/2017
News Agency of Nigeria
Abuja.
Sir,
RE: 21-DAY NOTICE OF STRIKE
We acknowledged receipt of your letter, dated September 11, 2017 on the above subject.
Unions wish to express their displeasure over the various publications in both social and traditional media by the management on the 21-day notice of strike given to management, to press their demands. (See management publication on guardian newspaper addendum 1)
Management’s reaction to the notice not only ridiculed journalists in NAN, but the whole of the organization. This is least expected.
Unions never expected that issues that can be resolved internally, following all due processes should be a piece for publication where vulgar languages are used. Members of staff of NAN are celebrated nationwide.
1. The draft condition of service followed due process, but the process was not completed under Mr. Ima Niboro, the immediate past MD.
Also, Mr. Jones Afolabi could not sign the document on the ground that he was on acting capacity; he also premised his refusal to sign the document on the ground that there was no board at the time.
Public service rules allows for review of condition of service in every five years, NAN current condition of service has been in use for 15 years and most of the contents are now obsolete, hence the need for review.
Government is continuum; there is no basis for management to make reference to past management of the agency on their failure to approve the condition of service.
2. Transfer allowance: The 20 members of staff transferred to Abuja and Lagos are not redundant as claimed by management.
For instance, Mr. Alex A. Enebeli received a transfer letter from Enugu to Abuja on January 9, 2017. (See copy of the transfer letter attached and marked Addendum 2). He was among the 20 members of staff redeployed.
However, NAN Management suddenly made a u-turn converting the transfer to redeployment and thereafter declared him redundant. None of the affected staff was redundant as alleged.
They were discharging their duties effectively as assigned to them.
Also, Mr. Aliyu Abubakar, a Senior Administration Officer petitioned the management on March 6, 2017, rejecting being branded as a redundant staff. This compelled management to reverse itself, writing to say “he was not a redundant staff” (see addendum 3).
If the 20 members of staff were redundant, why would management apply for a waiver from the Federal Character Commission to recruit 150 personnel? Of this number, 53 were approved and management is in the process of engaging them. The affected members of staff being declared redundant by management are entitled to their full transfer allowances in line with the public service rules.
Other staff transferred after them received their full transfer allowance. For instance, a Deputy Director was transferred from Abuja to Lagos, and got his full transfer entitlement. The 20 members of staff are members of the union, therefore, it is not out of place for union to champion their course, having received their complaints, There was nowhere the union agreed with management that the redeployed members of staff should only be paid one-third of their transfer benefit.
Mr. Suleiman Haruna that was mentioned as an example of those who were transferred without being paid their full allowance, got his full entitlement while being transferred from Abuja to Bauchi, but did not get same while he was transferred from Bauchi to Abuja because he personally requested for the transfer.
We have no ulterior or being politically motivated to issue the 21-day notice of strike to management. We are also not being sponsored by politician or any group of persons. We are only demanding for the rights and welfare of members of staff of the agency as provided for in the Public service rules.
In line with the present administration’s change agenda, we are always determined to discharge our duties to move the agency and the country forward. We will never allow ourselves to be used by any foreign body or politicians and we will not be deterred by sentiments.
3. Promotion Examination: It is not correct that the unions have no right to delve into promotion issues. Promotion affects all members of staff of the organisation, therefore, issues concerning members of staff should be of concern to the unions. It is not out of place for unions to call management to order when the public service rules are not being adhered to.
For example, Grade Level 8 Officer writing the same examination with Grade Level 15 officers is not proper as experience on the job is critical and cannot be ignored.
We are aware that the 60 per cent was used as pass mark. This is an aberration. The failure, especially in Editorial Department is unprecedented with more than 50 per cent failure recorded. Unions called on management to review the result by pegging it at 50 per cent.
Unions have not mentioned the issue of misapplication of funds as claimed in your letter. However. the unions are aware of misappropriation of funds in the Agency as a report of an audit conducted by external auditors indicted and necessitated the transfer of a Deputy Director.
We shall respond to the issue of fund misapplication at the appropriate time. We equally believe that industrial disputes are unavoidable; this has compelled the unions to give the management a deadline after dialogue had failed.
We stand by our demands as contained in the 21-day strike notice issued to management.
Signed
Joseph Edeh; Johnson Eyiangho
NUJ NAN Chairman; NUJ NAN Secretary
Suleiman Haruna Uduak; Ifeanyichukwu Oputa
AUPCTRE Chairman; AUPCTRE Secretary
Daniel Akaphiare; Deji Fadipe
RATTAWU Chairman; RATTAWU Secretary
