The new management of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), has said that it inherited about N2.8billion liabilities including N665million suspicious claims which some staff of the agency are insisting it must be paid without verifying it or else they embark on strike.
The Daily Times further gathered that the unverified claims has caused tension between the management and the workers especially members of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria( ASCSN) who are hell bend that the demands of the workers – wholesale payment of N665million must be met.
The development came just as the management insisted that their claims must be verified before any action could be taken. The ACSN is also opposed to the transfer of the Secretary of the Women Commission Member of the Trade Union Congress( TUC), Comrade Shaibu Afusatu who was redeployed to Lagos and they are therefore demanding the reposting of the female staff to NEMA headquarters.
The Daily Times learnt on Monday that the workers’ demand for the payment of the unverified claims was behind the threats by NEMA workers to go on strike.
But the Director-General of NEMA, Engr. Mustapha Maihaja, has explained that he has no anti-labour agenda. He said that since he came on board, NEMA workers had been receiving their salaries and claims on time.
He added that the president of ASCSN in NEMA had been redeployed back to NEMA headquarters in Abuja and reiterated that the new management inherited about N2.8billion liability including N665million claim by some staff that must be verified.
According to the liabilities profile inherited by the Agency, N82,019,313.90 was the carry over from (2015); N1,212,063,635.77 from (2016); and N1,507,087,420.82 between January and March 2017.
The inherited staff liabilities are N9,553,400 in 2015; N273,592,861.12 in 2016 and N382,096,780.02 in 2017. The Daily Times also learnt that the unverified N665million became subject of dispute when it was discovered that a Level 08 officer applied for N14million as outstanding claims while another senior staff asked for the refund of N58million he claimed to have spent on behalf of NEMA.
A reliable source in NEMA also told the newspaper that: “While the workers were mounting pressure for payment of claims, NEMA management is insisting on verification of all outstanding claims. “But the next line of action we received was threat to go on strike .”
The source added that the redeployment of a staff, Comrade Shaibu Afusatu out of Abuja was also an issue raised by the Trade Union Congress (FCT Council) against NEMA. The leadership of the Trade Union Congress (FCT Council) asked NEMA management to “reverse the posting in line with extant labour laws , international conventions and a subsisting agreement.” But NEMA in its response said: “The redeployment of the affected staff was a routine exercise carried out within the statutory responsibility of the management stipulated in their letters of appointment.
“The action of redeployment of staff does not in any way amount to violation of relevant section of ILO Convention 87. The agency , however, supports and encourages and allows free and legitimate association among its staff and will continue to do so.”
Speaking with journalists over the matter, the DirectorGeneral of NEMA, Engr. Mustapha Maihaja said: “I inherited the liabilities and for all intents and purposes, a Chief Executive ought to verify all claims that are not paid before he resumes.
I am doing exactly that. “I have not owed workers their salaries since I came on board. Also, I have been paying all the claims of workers of NEMA as and when due since I resumed in April 2017.
“I am not anti-labour but I am insisting on due process to verify the outstanding claims which I inherited.”
