Members of the Iron and Steel Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ISSSAN) and Steel and Engineering Workers Union of Nigeria (SEWUN) who are staff of Ajaokuta Steel Company yesterday denied an alleged succession crisis in Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited.
Solicitor Salifu Oguche Usman Esq, a principal partner at Abbluent Partners Abuja, had last week said that the workers had accused the Sole Administrator of the company, Engr. Joseph Onobere Isah of contravening several administrative regulations of government including illegally diverting workers promotion allowances as well as selling the company’s landed properties to clients.
However, in a press statement issued by the unions which was jointly signed by the Chairmen and Secretaries of the two unions, Comrade Nuhu Salawu, Comrade Usman Bashir, Comrade Attah James and Comrade Ade Atabo Omebo respectively which was made available to journalists in Lokoja, noted thatSalifu Oguche’s claims are cheap blackmail
“We the members of ISSSAN and SEWUN Ajaokuta branch have not 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”, the statement read.
According to the unions, the process of appointing or removing the Chief Executive officer of Ajaokuta Steel Company and indeed all parastatals of the federal government is 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 that the current NIOMCO Chief Executive Officer had also retired before his current appointment.”
On the issue of 2012 promotion arrears, the unions noted that the issue has been addressed by the Engr. Joseph Isah 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.
The unions therefore call on “these emergency social advocates who are ill-informed on Ajaokuta Steel matters to redirect their energy to productive things instead causing dis harmony.
“We say this because everyone who knows Ajaokuta Steel Plant and its workers will not allow himself to be used for cheap blackmail.”
