The Ondo State Chairman of the Trade Union Congress, Mr. Soladoye Ekudayo, revealed that there is no iota of transparency in the ongoing verification exercise. He also confirmed that the DG was only using the exercise to retrench workers in order to employ his own people in the commission.
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Some aggrieved workers of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Ondo State office, have protested against the ongoing verification exercise of the commission, saying it is a means to retrench many workers.
The protestors shut down the gate to the Igbatoro office of the commission in Akure, the State capital, and demanded that the ongoing verification exercise be put on hold.
They described the ongoing verification exercise as a fraudulent and unfavourable means to retrench workers in the commission.
The protesters chanted solidarity songs for several hours and called for the removal of the Director General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Chris Onyeama.
The workers accused the Director General of partiality and favouring some workers at the expense of others.
They also accused the local chapter chairman of the Association of the Senior Civil Servant, NIMC branch, Gbenga Abileko, of sabotaging their efforts and refusing to speak up for workers rights.
The aggrieved workers were all armed with placards bearing various inscriptions such as "The verification exercise is a fraud", "We say no to retrenchment of workers", "This impunity must stop", "NIMC is dying", "NIMC workers demands for justice", "Chris Onyeama must go".
The workers were joined by the Ondo State Chapter of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Association of the Senior Civil Servants who came to show their solidarity.
Addressing the Protesters, the Ondo State Chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Mr. Soladoye Ekundayo alleged that the ongoing verification exercise seeks to retrench many workers of the commission and accused the Director General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Mr. Chris Onyeama of nepotism.
Ekudayo revealed that there is no iota of transparency in the ongoing verification exercise. He also confirmed that the DG was only using the exercise to retrench workers in order to employ his own people in the commission.
"The Director General, Chris Onyeama once told us that the commission would embark on a verification exercise to look into the certificate of workers for promotion and we told him to go ahead so far it's carried out transparently.
"To our surprise, the Director General carried out the exercise and it was discovered that the verification was to witch-hunt and retrench workers of the commission.
"Here in Akure, Ondo State, they have laid off close to 30 workers as a result of the ongoing verification exercise and they have employed 3 people which have resumed to the office while the exercise is still ongoing".
He also disclosed that the Director General has breached a contempt of court by refusing to be transparent in the verification exercise after the union had met with the management of the commission on several occasion over the outcry of the workers on plans to retrench them.
SaharaReporters has been unable to reach Chris Onyeama, the Commission's Director General, for a comment despite several attempts.
But, a secretary in the commission who refused to disclosed her name to SaharaReporters said the aggrieved workers were only crying foul and added that the "Director General would reply to all entries and inquiry immediately he is around"
Many of the workers who spoke to SaharaReporters have promised to continue with the strike to ensure the commission do the needful and abide by transparency in the ongoing verifications exercise.