Ahmadu Fintiri
Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State has approved the sacking of
5,000 workers employed by the previous All -Progressives Congress-led
government of Jibril Bindow.
The salaries of the civil servants had been stopped last year over what
the state government called “improper employment and transfer of
service.”
The fate of the civil servants was finally sealed as the state executive
council endorsed the report of a committee the government had asked to
regularise employment and transfer of service in the state.
On Wednesday, the state’s commissioner of information and strategy, Umar
Pella, announced their sack after a meeting of the state executive
council at the Government House, Yola.
Mr Pella advised those employed between September 2018 and May 2019 to
seek fresh employment, saying the government no longer recognise them as
its employees.
Mr Pella said the report of the committee shows that there were irregularities in their employment process.
“If you know you are in Adamawa and you are employed between September
2018 and May 2019, we are of the opinion that that period, a lot of
irregularities took place and that the council today based on the
recommendations of the committee which made available the report to us
and upon which the white paper was based, it is confirmed that the
employment at that period did not follow due process and the advice is
that they should seek fresh employment.
“We will ensure that regular processes are followed which is in line
with the rules so that we can employ them and regularise the process,” he said.
A week after his inauguration, Governor Fintiri had dissolved the boards
of parastatals and state-owned tertiary institutions. He also nullified
last minutes appointments, recruitments and other “hasty decisions” of
his predecessor.
“For the avoidance of doubt, all political office holders in the
previous government are hereby relieved of their appointment with effect
from Wednesday 29, May. These include commissioners, SSG, senior
special advisers, special advisers, senior special assistants, special
assistants and development areas administrators.
“Similarly all appointments made into the state judicial service
commission, civil service commission, planning commission and board of
the Adamawa state health insurance, chairman and members of the Jimeta
ultra-modern market board are hereby suspended,” the governor said.
He further suspended all appointments made on or after March 28, 2019 (governorship election day).
Reactions
Following the announcement, the government stopped the salaries of about 5,000 civil servants.
Months later, the government started issuing sack letters to the affected staff at the state-owned Polytechnic.
One of the affected civil servants, Faisal Baba, accused the state
government of withholding their salaries for seven months and issuing
them sack letters without justification.
He lamented the reluctance of the state House of Assembly, the organised
labour and other relevant key stakeholders to prevail on the state
government to rescind its decision.
Mr Baba said that the way the disengagement was carried out showed that it was based on political sentiments.
“Very soon, we will embark on protest and also seek redress in the court of law,” he said.
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Source: PREMIUM TIMES