About 5,000 civil servants in Adamawa whom the government said were “improperly employed” by the Muhammadu Umaru Jibrilla Bindow led (APC) administration, have resolved to commence legal action coupled with massive street protest to press for justice.
Leader of the affected workers, Faisal Baba told our reporter in a phone chat that: “We are now holding a Marathon meeting over the unjust action and we have resolved to commence street protest on Feb 10, 2020 to demand justice.
” Apart from the street protest, we shall also file litigation against the injustice being meted to us by the government,” Baba said.
He noted that over 5,000 workers were affected by the recent government’s decision which he said was carried out without due process.
“The government neither followed due process nor civil service rule in taking the misplaced decision.
” We were not told why we were pencilled down for the sack and no investigation was carried before the unfortunate action was taken in contravention of the civil service rules,” he said.
He noted that despite not given them sack letters, the state government vehemently refused to pay them salaries in the last 10 months noting that one of the steps an employer must follow before sacking an employee is payment of all entitlements in addition to severance benefits which the government side stepped.
“No reason was given for the sack. According to civil service rules, someone must commit offence and investigated before sack. If you don’t want someone’s service you must communicate to him and pay him all his entitlements and severance package.
” None of these was done before we were unilaterally sacked by the government. This is the height of impunity which we shall resist through legal means,” he added.
He accused the government of double standards, barefaced lies and witch-hunt which he said informed why it has been feeding the people with half truths since it embarked on the the “sordid journey”.
” The government seemed to have lost focus because it cannot even articulate and marshal its arguments coherently.
“When the governor visited some media stations in the state recently, he said he did not sack anyone and said he will not sack anyone.
” He said his concern was mainly on those who were employed after the election only to come back and sack workers from September 2018 to May 2019. That does not portray a leader whose words can be trusted,” he said.
Faisal said the blanket sack, which include those that have spent more than 20 years but arbitrarily retrenched because they have been transferred represents the highest form of impunity.
” What is the position of SPY workers, because in the past there was announcement to the effect that all workers employed from September 2018 to May 2019 have been sacked.
“They did not clarify whether SPY workers are involved or not. What does this announcement means? There are people that were on transfer of service who are affected are they also sacked or they should go back to their ministries?,” he queried.
The commissioner of information and strategy in Adamawa State, Dr Umar Garba Pella, yesterday revealed that the state executive council had finally endorsed a white paper report of the committee on regularization of employment and transfer of service.
Pella who made the disclosure shorty after the state executive council meeting, advised those employed between September 2018 – May 2019 to seek fresh employment, as the government no more recognized them as its employees.
Pella said the white paper report of the committee shows that there were irregularities in the employment process during the said period.
“If you know you are in Adamawa and you are employed between September 2018 and may 2019, we are of the opinion that that period, a lot of irregularities took place and that the council today based on the recommendations from the committee which made available the report to us and upon which the white paper was based, it is confirmed that the employment at that period did not follow due process and the advice is that they should seek fresh employment and we are willing to employ.
“We will ensure that regular processes are followed which is in line with the rules so that we can employ them and regularize the process,” he said.
Their employment did not follow due process, Govt insists
While reacting to the myriads of allegations leveled against the government in a phone chat, commissioner of information and strategy Dr. Umar Garba Pella said the affected workers are being economical with the truth.
“They are not saying the truth, what the civil service provides is that there can be a waiver, but the waiver is not an individual waiver. Waivers are usually institutional,” he said.
Pella accused the sacked workers of circumventing the due process deliberately for self serving reasons.
” If there is a compelling vacancy in an institution, because of the embargo that was on ground at that time, the institution will approach the government for a waiver through the office of the head of the civil service of the state and governor grant those waivers through the same office.
“The vacancies are then advertised applicants applied, they are invited for interviews, and offers are given.
“Can they in all honesty say they follow such procedures before they were employed?
“What happened was that individuals obtained their waivers to the extent of going to organizations and telling them we have obtained waivers therefore give me employment.
“That practice is not done anywhere. It is highly selective and not fair to the rest of the state.
“We are reversing the trend and as far as we are concerned they did not follow due process therefore we are correcting the scenario,” he said.
The commissioner reiterated the determination of the Fintiri led administration to restore sanity in the civil service in particular and the state in general by upholding due process in its day to day activities.
He urged eligible candidates to feel free to apply for job vacancies whenever such are available
” People should apply formally if institutions require employment. They should approach them through the appropriate channels like head of service.
” If the government is satisfied that the employment is necessary, they can give them waiver as an institution and they can advertise vacancies so the candidates can go for interview that is all what we are saying.
” There is nothing like witch hunting anybody. We have never seen them as politicians. In as much as they have fallen victims of what politicians do people in the office, we should correct it.
” We don’t want situation where people that know politicians will collect waiver and get employed,” he added.
In a statewide broadcast, a week after his inauguration, governor Fintiri has announced the dissolution of all chairmen of board and Parastatals, governing board of state owned tertiary institutions, and nullify last minutes appointments, recruitments and other hasty decisions taken by the immediate past administration in the state.
“For the avoidance of doubt all political office holders in the previous government are hereby relieved of their appointment with effect from Wednesday 29,may. These include commissioners, SSG, senior special advisers, special advisers, senior special assistants, special assistants and development areas administrators.
“Similarly all appointments made into the state judicial service commission, civil service commission, planning commission and board of the Adamawa state health insurance, chairman and members of the Jimeta ultra modern market board are hereby suspended,” the governor announced.
He further suspends all appointments made on or after 28th march, 2019 on ground of public interest as well as last minutes recruitments through mere waiver without observing the laid down procedures such as federal character.
The governor then announced plans to set up a committee that will thoroughly review the hasty recruitments and decide on the need to conduct a proper exercise that will be open to all eligible citizens including those affected by the suspension.
The governor also announced the suspension of the General managers of Adamawa State water board, Adamawa state urban planning development authority, state transport company and the executive secretary of post primary schools management board pending the receipt of inquiry into their respective organizations and also dissolved all the chairmen and members of boards, parastatals and commissions.
Following the announcement, the government stopped salaries of about 5,000 affected civil servants.
Months after stoppage of their salary, the government started issuing sack letters to affected staff of the state Polytechnic.
Spokesperson of the affected civil servants, Malam Faisal Baba, at a press conference in Yola accused the state government of withholding their salaries for the past seven months and issuing sack letters without any justification.
He lamented the reluctance of the state House of Assembly, the organised labour and other relevant key stakeholders in prevailing on the state government to rescind its decision.
Baba stated that the way and manner the disengagement was carried out clearly shows that selfishness and political sentiments were the overriding motive behind the exercise.
He noted that despite the assurances of the state deputy Governor, that their case would be addressed when the workers protested on 2nd October 2019 at the Government House.
The Director-General Media and Communication, to governor Fintiri, Mr. Solomon Kumangar, who spoke with our reporter on the issue said the State Government has ordered a review of the entire excise to ensure fairness, equity, and justice.
Kumangar revealed that the normal protocol for employment was not followed by the immediate past administration noting that some applicants with third class degrees were recruited as Lecturers in tertiary institutions, stressing that this was against guidelines of the Nigerian University Commission, NUC and National Board for Technical Education NBTE.
Mr. Kumangar stated that, the Head of the State Civil Service and other relevant bodies would closely review issues and that those who are qualified have nothing to fear.
After his defeat at the polls, Bindow has carried out a number of last-minute appointments, effected promotions and constituted boards of some government agencies which Fintiri upon assumption reversed noting that such commitments ceased to have any effect.
