A pharmacist, Saifullah Muhammad who worked with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and was deployed to Port Harcourt, has lamented that the management of the port authority is yet to pay his three years’ salaries and entitlements.
Saifullah was working with the Pharmaceutical Department of the Sokoto State Ministry of Health before July 22, 2019 when he was employed by the NPA.
The management of the port authority had withheld Saifullah’s salaries and entitlements since August 2019 without giving explanation.
He narrated that before he joined the NPA, he was also negotiating a contract with the Government of Saudi Arabia to work with the King Abdulaziz Specialist Hospital and Research Centre. But when the opportunity to join NPA came, he said the Port’s Managing Director, Muhammad Bello Koko and his Personal Assistant, Kabiru Abubakar Daniya persuaded him to accept the offer and work for his country rather than another country.
“I informed them about an ongoing conversation between me and the Saudi government regarding a contract job with King Abdulaziz Specialist Hospital and Research Center; I even showed them some of the mail messages. Despite that, they convinced me to accept the federal offer because it is a service to my country and will be a representation of my state in the organization,” Saifullah Muhammad had told SaharaReporters.
He withdrew his services from the Sokoto State Ministry of Health and accepted the NPA offer, but two months into his employment, things went bitter. By August 2019, he received his salary but while colleagues were paid their hotel in lieu allowance, he did not receive his.
He told SaharaReporters in tears that he could not pay his rent and take care of other expenses in Port Harcourt, therefore, he had to go back to his family in Sokoto. He was however jobless.
Over three months after Saifullah’s cry for intervention on his matter by necessary authorities, he told SaharaReporters on Thursday that presently, even feeding had become problem for him.
He said he had not been paid and also not been able to secure a new job because the NPA refused to give him a termination letter.
Asked if the NPA has settled with him, Saifullah said, "There is no solid response from the management. One of their boys contacted me at home when he came for Sallah break, trying to persuade me to remove or erase the publication if possible because it will affect the management in many ways.
"I asked him why they unleashed such gruesome oppression on me in the first place? How will I clear myself from their false claim and how will I pursue my future without the termination letter? What about the sufferings of my family, my benefits and entitlements?
"I will only leave this issue if they pay me and clear the air of all the pollution," he said.
Saifullah further said "someone told me that the Union President says honestly if he is to be asked by court or any authority, he will tell the truth about the matter.
"They have been oppressing people in so many different ways and people have not been challenging them.
"I am appealing to the government to wade into my issue, ensure justice for me."
He noted that an 11-man committee was set up by the government to investigate issues that took place in NPA from 2016 to 2021 but till date, no one has heard anything about the committee's report.
"I was the first person to be interviewed and the chairman promised me that all my benefits would be paid and that I would be able to return to work. It happened on 4th November 2021, and now it is almost a year without implementation," he said.
SaharaReporters earlier made efforts to speak with the Port Managing Director, Koko but was not successful as his phone number was never reachable. However, when SaharaReporters contacted his Personal Assistant, Kabiru Daniya, he said he was not authorised to speak with the press about the matter, and therefore asked our reporter to contact the media team of the NPA, Port Harcourt but refused to provide the media team contact.
SaharaReporters also called Mr. Akintoye several times but though the call connected, he did not answer. Also, this newspaper sent an email to NPA through its contact email but there had been no response at the time of filing this report.