N2.8b liabilities, staff claims cause disquiet at NEMA

There is considerable disquiet at the National Emergency Management Agency, (NEMA) over N2.8billion inherited liabilities.

The new management is also said to be in conflict with some senior staff over N665million unverified claims.

The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), according to sources, is insisting the money be paid immediately, but the management is not predisposed to this.

Daily Trust learnt some workers were trying to persuade their colleagues to go on strike unless the management agrees to pay the claims and also reverse the posting of senior member of staff to Lagos.

NEMA Director-General, Engr. Mustapha Maihaja however said he was not against the workers, that on the contrary he had been paying salaries and claims on time.

Maihaja did not deny he inherited about N2.8billion liabilities and N665million unsubstantiated staff claims.

The liabilities were said to have been inherited over three years - N82,019,313.90(2015); N1,212,063,635.77(2016); and N1,507,087,420.82(Jan-March 2017).

The inherited staff liabilities are N9, 553,400(2015); N273, 592,861.12(2016) and N382, 096,780.02).

Suspicion arose over the N665million liabilities when it was discovered that a Level 08 officer applied for N14million as outstanding claims while a senior staff asked for the refund of N58million he spent on behalf of NEMA.

A source said "While the workers were mounting pressure for payment of claims, NEMA management is insisting on verification of all outstanding claims. "The next we received was threat to go on strike action."

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 demanded the transfer be reversed “in line with extant labour laws , international conventions and a subsisting agreement."

But NEMA 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."