ABUJA (Sundiata Post) – Members of four labour unions in the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday staged a protest against the re-appointment of former Managing Director, Mr Bayo Onanuga on account of management ineptitude and alleged fraud.
The unions were Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Amalgamated Union of Public Corporate, Civil Service Technical and Recreation Service Employees (AUPCTRE), Radio, Television, Theatre and Arts Workers’ Union of Nigeria (RATTAWU) and Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporation and Government-Owned Companies (SSASCGOC).
The protesters demanded, among other things, that Onanuga must not be reappointed as managing director of the agency having completed his three-year tenure on May 24.
According a statement jointly signed by chairmen of the unions, Suleiman Haruna, (AUPCTRE); Collins Yakubu-Hammer (NAN), Daniel Akaphiare (RATTAWU) and Ogechi James (SSASCGOC), Onaunga has done massive damage to the agency.
The unions said that a letter dated May 24, 2019 with reference number NAN/ADM/SUB/247/IX/1388 indicated that Onanunga’s tenure expired and Mr Idris Abdurahaman, the editor-in chief and the most senior Director in the agency was to take over as acting managing director.
They explained that the unthinkable happened on May 27, when Onanuga wrote and pasted a self-made circular without official reference titled “I am Back’’. The notice which could best be described as usurpation of presidential powers had stressed his re-appointment.
“The Joint Union is therefore calling on the Federal Government to take urgent step in restraining Onanuga from taking charge of the agency because his tenure had lapsed.
“His continued illegal stay is capable of breaching the peace in the agency because there is a clear disconnection between him and members of staff.
“He has mentioned on several fora that he was just managing poverty in NAN, but he has refused to leave even when his tenure lapsed,’’ the union said.
The union further explained that the reason for the protest also hinged on some noticeable alleged graft committed under the outgone chief executive’s watch. The union alleged that some of such graft offences included payment of salaries to his special assistant, Mohammed Momoh directly from the IPPIS in the last three years.
They explained that Momoh as a retired director of administration in the agency was supposed to get his salaries from NAN’s overhead/subvention, but his name was smuggled back to IPPIS.
They also said that Onanuga had been diverting some revenues of the agency to his personal use through the NAN Bizcom accounts that were not linked to the TSA.
“•Selling of official vehicles to himself and loyal management staff through dubious auction process that grossly violated auction rules of the Federation Government.
“•Payment of huge sums of money consultants to conduct promotion examination that could be handled internally.
“•Onanuga’s refusal to pay rents of several state offices include Port Harcourt Zonal Office, Lafia, Yenagoa, Birni Kebbi and Jalingo despite millions of naira generated by the agency.
“•N321 million bailout was approved and released to the agency by President Muhammadu Buhari, yet Onanuga refused to pay 60 months transport allowance to reporters and marketers.
“•The welfare of staff is non-existent. The newsroom has no chairs, reporters stand for hours during editorial meetings.
“•The diversion of money meant for the marking of 40th anniversary of the agency donated by well meaning institutions through access Bank Account 0016628258 and Zenith Bank Account 1012782058 respectively.
“•Onanuga refused to implement all 11 items in the Memorandum of Understanding that he, the union leaders and officials from Ministry of Labour signed to suspend the strike by the various unions in July 2018.
“•Onanuga has unilaterally sacked some staff and suspended others without pay contrary to the Civil Service Rules and Regulations,’’ they said.
Comrade Emmanuel Ogbeche, chairman, Nigerian Union of Journalists, FCT Council, said the action taken by members of the union in NAN was apt, adding that the era of tyranny in NAN was over.
“Onanuga is gone; he is out of NAN forever; no more shall he sack journalists without following due process. No more shall he condole and encourage indiscipline and favouritism.
“We cannot continue to allow people who do not have the capacity to add value to the well-being of workers to serve as Chief Executive of Government parastatal.
“Journalists need to be motivated, they need to be encouraged to do their work and not this constant threat of sack and suspension like Onanuga had always done.
“The NUJ, FCT Council, therefore, calls on President Muhammadu Buhari not consider re-appkinting Onanuga to head NAN again as he did not add value to the establishment in any way in the last three years”, Ogbeche said.
The agency was shut down for nearly five hours on Tuesday with reporters, correspondents, editors and other staff seen carrying placards with various inscriptions indicating that Onanuga was not wanted again in the agency.
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