In a petition to the Minister of State for Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, the union said that some of the names initially penciled down for demotion or sack were “deliberately removed” by some privileged people in the agency, submitting 29 names it claims were wrongly employed and placed in high positions above their qualifications since 2012.
The National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) on Monday alleged fraud in the recent placement and sacking of at least 25 staff of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
In a petition to the Minister of State for Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, the union said that some of the names initially penciled down for demotion or sack were “deliberately removed” by some privileged people in the agency, submitting 29 names it claims were wrongly employed and placed in high positions above their qualifications since 2012.
In the petition, ‘Re: Implementation of Proper Placement in Aviation Parastatals – Not Yet Uhuru,’reference # NUATE.GS/HMS.FMT/ENP/0017-16, signed by NUATE General Manager Olayinka Abioyeand exclusively obtained by SaharaReporters, the union commended the minister for reducing the numbers of General Managers and others in FAAN, but insisted that the minister was yet to fully implement the proper placement demanded by the union.
The union stressed that some names were deliberately removed before the commencement of the exercise in FAAN, warning that this single failure could dent the exercise “as its being seen as yet another fraudulent exercise.”
The petition urged Sirika to undertake a physical personnel audit of which the nominal roll of the parastatals in the ministry, particularly that of FAAN.
“We hereby demand a complete review and or that in the alternate, the nominal roll used for the last exercise should be checked in such manner that those employees who were not captioned in the said nominal roll should be assumed [to be] non staffers of FAAN and declared as ghost workers.
“We also demand, as representatives and participants in the said committee, a copy of the committee’s report, within one week, for our perusal and follow up.”
In an earlier petition to Sirika on October 16, the union also submitted to the ministry its observations of the wrong and irregular employment and placement of officers at NAMA, saying that 29 personnel from NAMA were wrongly placed by former ministers since 2012, especially by Ms. Stella Oduah.
One of those names is Aliche Clara, Staff Number 3258, and appointed as a Director in September 21, 2012. The union argued that it was wrong for the government to have placed her on that position as she had no prior public service experience.
Others are Akangson Uwem Ekerete, another director without prior public service experience. The union said his PHD was also in doubt as the institution he claimed to have attended was not in existence as of the date of the certificate; and Oki Paul, the Company Secretary, also without public service experience.
Others are Saleh Amin Ibrahim, a director without documented public service experience; General Manager Kuku Olubunmi Oluwasun, who was placed above normal entry level and without prior public service experience; and Gbem Anastatia.
Others listed by the union are: Irabueke Obiefule, Aliyu Usman Yahyah, Okoro Arukwe, Ona UchennaPhoebe, Opaluwa Ejura Aduku, Nwabueze Williams, Iyang Ellen, Onabe Stephen, Ukpai Robert, OgisiOkwuchi, Agha Chinyere, Okoro Chukwudi, Arisa Chinwe, Adeyemo Yetunde, Bello Shankirah, Ekenga-Ita Mariam, Marie Odo Chiaka, Okechuwku Mariam Ogorchwu, Ogbonnaya Linda Chidi, Coker Aishat, Omoniwa Enekole, Olubunmi Olayinka Naomi and Opiah Henry Ikechukwu.
