The House of Representatives has intervened in the labour crisis, rocking the News Agency of Nigeria, urging the management of the Federal Government-owned media organisation to reverse the recent redeployment of some staff members in an alleged witch hunt.
The House called the plenary on Wednesday following the unanimous adoption of the motion moved by a member, Babatunde Ayeni, titled ‘Need to Investigate Reported Cases of Victimisation, Anti-Labour Activities in the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).’
Ayeni had expressed concern that the current situation in NAN “has been overwhelmed by politics in terms of staff promotion.”
According to the lawmaker, a set of workers who were not due for promotion had been elevated to various higher offices, in breach of due process and provisions of Section 7 Subsection 020702 of the Public Service Rules 1.
The lawmaker also alleged that some staff enjoyed double promotion within one year, contrary to the provisions of Section 7(B) and (C) of the PSR and Part IV, Subsections 10, 17, 18, 19(iii) and 24 of the PSR as it relates to appointments, promotion and discipline issue by the Federal Civil Service.
He noted that the fallout of the “illegal promotions” had impacted negatively on the morale, loyalty, and commitment of hundreds of workers who had allegedly been “short-changed by such unpatriotic acts.”
Ayeni said, “The House is worried that despite the involvement and mediatory efforts by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, the Nigeria Labour Congress, and the Nigerian Union of Journalists’ FCT Council, the senior staff of NAN who are hell-bent of victimising their contemporaries who are union leaders, arbitrarily suspended the NUJ chairman, in contravention of all known conventions and labour practices in the country.
“The House is also worried by the recalcitrant attitude of the senior staff who abuse their exalted positions to intimidate, harass and frustrate the NUJ executive members, especially the chairman, by way of posting him out without formal notice and suspending him while on approved annual leave, contrary to Section 9 Subsection 6(a) and (b) of the Labour Act, 2004, and Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).”
The lawmaker added that the NAN management resolved to post the NUJ chairman out of Abuja “to where one of the beneficiaries of the illegal promotion hails from, thereby posing a threat to the NUJ chairman’s life and subjecting him and his family to emotional, psychological and financial distress.”
He said, “The House is disturbed that the action of the senior staff, who are allegedly involved in this inglorious act, also contravenes the agreement reached by NAN management and unions on the 27 July 2018, where the NAN management agreed never to victimise any union leader and members as a result of labour struggle in the Agency.
“The House is disturbed that the Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief of the News Agency of Nigeria has been laid back in his duty to ensure a serene environment for NAN workers during the disturbing labour crisis.”
Adopting the motion, the House resolved to urge NAN to “immediately recall the affected NUJ chairman from Plateau State to the headquarters where he has served meritoriously, pending the conclusion of investigations.”
The House also urged the Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief of NAN to “ensure immediate payment of all outstanding allowances to the NUJ chairman (NAN Chapter) and ensure that he is not victimised any further.”
Furthermore, the lawmakers resolved to set up an ad hoc committee to investigate the “anti-labour actions” in NAN and other allegations relating to illegal promotions in the past five years.
The committee is also to “recover all benefits that might have been enjoyed by their allies and recommend necessary sanctions for anyone found culpable” and report back to the House within four weeks for further legislative action.
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