Ajaokuta steel workers deny leadership crisis

WORKERS of the Ajaokuta Steel Company, Kogi state on Friday debunked insinuation of leadership crisis in the organisation, warning against attempt to orchestrate another tussle.

The workers under the aegis of the Iron and Steel Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ISSSAN) and Steel and Engineering Workers Union of Nigeria (SEWUN), also dissociated themselves from a petition purportedly raising the alarm over leadership crisis in the company.

A legal practitioner, Salifu Usman, in the petition, said that the workers had accused the Sole Administrator of the company, Engr Joseph Isah,  of contravening several financial and administrative regulations of government including illegally diverting workers promotion allowances as well as selling the company’s landed properties to clients.

But the unions in a statement jointly signed by the Chairmen and Secretaries of the two unions, Comrade Nuhu O Salawu, Comrade Usman Bashir, Comrade Attah James and Comrade Ade Atabo Omebo respectively, said they never “consulted, talked to, briefed or solicited the assistance of anybody let alone the said Mr Salifu Oguche Usman to write any petition on our behalf on matters of succession in the Company or any other matter therein.”

According to the unions, the process of appointing or removing the Chief Executive Officer of the company and parastatals of the federal government was largely political and at the discretion of Government.

“At no point did workers appoint chief executives for the organization. In the case of Engineer Isah, it is true he was employed in 1982 and appointed Sole Administrator in 2012. Though we are not lawyers, we however know as of fact that there is a difference between “employment’’ and ‘’appointment”.

“We also know as of fact that when Engr Isah was appointed Sole Administrator of Ajaokuta Steel Plant, Engr A.Y Ibrahim was also appointed Sole Administrator of the National Iron Ore Mining Company, (NIOMCO) Itakpe in November 2012.

“It might interest Mr Salifu Oguche Usman to know that as at the time of the appointment of Engr. A.Y Ibrahim to Head NIOMCO, Itakpe, he Engr. Ibrahim had already retired from Public Service and his appointment stood till he voluntarily withdrew his services and the current Chief Executive Officer was appointed to take over.

“It is also a fact the current NIOMCO Chief Executive Officer had also retired before his current appointment.”

The unions also noted that the issue the issue of 2012 promotion arrears had been addressed by the management as all the relevant documentations have been sent to the Federal Government.

“We in the union have made several follow ups to the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation and we are confident that all staff who are qualified will be paid when the Federal Government does so, as assured during the 2017 Civil Service Week by the Head of Civil Service of the Federation.

“It should also be noted that all Salaries and allowances of our Members are being paid directly to their accounts through the Integrated Payroll System of the Federal Government (IPPIS) and no funds associated with Salaries of Workers come to Ajaokuta,” the unions said.