Workers of the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) have decried the appointment of some members of the agency’s Board as Executive Board members by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.
The staff under the auspices of Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) and the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE) made this known in a letter addressed to Akpabio on Friday in Abuja.
The Senate President had on Wednesday announced the constitution of a new Board for FERMA, thus named some members, who are staff of the agency as Executive Board members; as opposed to the usual members of the Board.
The letter, jointly signed by ASCSN Chairman, Paul Onimisi, and AUPCTRE Chairman, Abdulmumin Idris, described the development by the Senate President as discouraging and demoralizing to the staff members of the agency.
The unions said, “The appointment of some persons as Executive Board members is contrary to the provisions of Section 2(2) of the FERMA Act as amended and career progression within government agencies”.
“It is counterproductive and demoralizing for career officers as the intention is for the Executive Board members to take over from career officers who are running departments.”
“We urge you respectfully, distinguished Senate President, to confirm the appointment of members of the board in accordance with the Act that created the board.”
“To do otherwise is to usher in a chain of events that will disrupt the structure of the agency, derail its mandate and demoralize the workers.”
They added that such would drive the agency in contra-direction in terms of its mandate.
“An urgent clarion call is hereby made for the immediate reversal of this illegality to forestall looming anarchy this contraption may cause”.
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