Concerns have emerged over the alleged suspension of 58 employees under an agency supervised by the Federal Ministry of Steel Development, following claims that the affected workers demanded accountability over alleged corruption-related issues.
Documents sighted by our correspondent contain the names, designations and departments of the affected officers, cutting across key units such as Metallurgy, Engineering Services, Human Resources, Analytical Services, Mineral Processing, Finance and Accounts, and Refractory.
The affected staff include senior engineers, principal metallurgists, directors, geologists, accountants and administrative officers.
Sources familiar with the development alleged that the workers were sanctioned after raising concerns and seeking clarification over certain financial and administrative matters within the establishment. However, officials of the ministry had yet to publicly respond to the claims as of the time of filing this report.
The Federal Ministry of Steel Development is headed by a minister appointed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Attempts to obtain official confirmation from the ministry were unsuccessful, as calls and messages sent to relevant officials were not returned.
Labour observers say that if the allegations are confirmed, the matter could raise concerns about workers’ rights and internal accountability mechanisms within public institutions. They called for transparency and adherence to due process in handling disciplinary matters involving civil servants.
Some stakeholders have urged the Federal Government and relevant oversight bodies to investigate the circumstances surrounding the alleged suspensions to ensure fairness and industrial harmony.
As of press time, there was no official statement from the ministry clarifying the reasons for the reported action.
