‘Why we are against reappointment of NPC boss’
Workers at the National Population Commission (NPC) have rejected the reappointment of Dr Ghaji Ismaila Bello as Director General of the agency, saying it should be reversed.
Daily Trust reports that Dr Bello was locked up in his office last Wednesday by aggrieved staff who pledged not to set him free until 9pm after he entered the NPC premises to attend a board meeting. The NPC commissioners were also barred from leaving.
The National President of the NPC staff union nationwide, Comrade Rita Agaba, told Daily Trust during the protest in Abuja that the workers of the commission wanted Bello’s reappointment to be reversed.
She said things were difficult for the staff during his first tenure of four years as the welfare packages for the workers were not handled well.
She said, “The tenure of our DG expired on the 7th of this month. Everybody was jubilating that his tenure has expired. But suddenly, today (last Wednesday), we heard that his appointment had been renewed. All the staff of National Population Commission do not want him back.”
She added that “Under his four-year tenure, the welfare of staff is zero. When you get to the account department, you will see that all approvals are lying. Claims are not paid in the order of approval.
“During the four years, we didn’t know anything they call conducive environment. He made things more difficult for us than he met it. That is why we are saying no to his reappointment.
“People die, they have not been paid their benefits. People retire, but they don’t get their immediate benefits.”
Agaba said the DG wants everybody to be on his side whether he is doing good or bad, adding that “For almost a year, we don’t have electricity. The union had to fight before they pay electricity bill. You can’t compare the money spent on diesel to PHCN bill.”
When contacted yesterday, the NPC DG said the commission could not settle all the claims because of the insufficient funds released to cater for 4, 680 workers; maintain 36 state offices, 774 local governments and 37 commissioners representing 36 States, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Dr Bello said throughout 2017, the commission received irregular overhead allowance of N26 million per month for seven months.
He said from the N26 million, the NPC funded staff claims, 14 sub-committees of its board, water, electricity and generator bills, cleaning of offices, repatriation allowance, as well as local travels and assignments.
He said, “The record is in the ministry of finance and budget office. There is nobody except a magician who will be able to attend to all these demands out of that money. And you cannot print money.
“The welfare problem can only be solved on the basis of funds that are available. It is a common economic sense except you want to borrow. And you can’t borrow because we can’t keep money in the banks because there is TSA.”
He denied being malicious, saying that he implemented collective decisions approved by the board after following due process.
“If you have 4, 680 people, 37 commissioners, 14 directors, definitely, some people will get, while some people will not get. Whoever doesn’t get, you are in his bad book. Whoever gets, you are in his good book.
“And the money is not sufficient to go round. And it’s not my fault. It’s not anybody’s fault. It’s just the reality on ground,” Dr Bello said in reaction to the claims that he made payment based on partiality.
The DG said “The union’s position is politically motivated, especially by people who are originally of the PDP. There is a chairman of the PDP in the commission manipulating the union to embarrass the government to serve political interest.”