By Kingsley Chukwuka
The Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government Owned Companies (SSASCGOC) and Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE), of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) has described as baseless and unfounded the story published by an on online website titled “Protest in Nigerian Government Agency, ITF Over Alleged Lopsided Appointments and Promotions.
SSACSGOC Sec. Gen Comrade Kayode Alakija Othman Balarabe made the disclosure while addressing newsmen in Jos yesterday.
According to him, the story which was published by Sahara Reporters and attributed to a group, Coalition of Northern Human Rights Groups (NHRG) was based on a protest letter by the group, to the office of the Minister of Trade and Investment (Sic), alleging lopsided appointments and monetization of the promotion process, fraudulent awards of contracts, mandate deviation, nepotism and outright diversion of public funds, against the DG and Management of the ITF.
He pointed out that while it is not in their place to hold brief for the Director-General and Management, who are quite capable of defending their integrity that is clearly being assailed and tarnished, as representatives of the entirety of the ITF workforce they are constrained to react to this malicious publication whose purpose is to sow discords and cause disaffection within the Fund.
“This is based on our firm understanding of the operations of the Fund, our deep appreciation of what the DG has done since his appointment in 2016 and the implication of the story on the image and reputation of our dear institution.
Speaking on the allegation of ‘nepotism, lopsided appointments and promotion of workers and monetization of the processes, he said the NHRG and Sahara Reporters are merely trying to ‘give a dog a bad name in order to hang it’ because since the assumption of office of the DG, the ITF has operated transparently and in keeping with his pledge to heal wounds and work as unto God in the discharge of his duties.
He posited that every activity, be it employment, promotions and appointments and others have followed due process which accounts for the industrial harmony that has prevailed in the Fund since his appointment, adding that with regards to the recruitments the Management conducted some years back, it was obvious to everyone associated with the ITF, even before his assumption to office that the Fund was short-staffed owing to retirements and other sundry reasons.
Comrade Othman Balarabe therefore urged members of the public to discountenanced the report as ITF was ranked amongst the first from over 500 agencies of the Federal Government that were surveyed in 2020 in terms of service delivery.