By Abubakar Yusuf
Not minding the economic crunch, biting subsidy removal and economic quagmire, the new Managing Director, National Broadcasting Commission, Mr Charles Ebuebu had concluded plans to sack over 800 workers, so as to replace them with his kinsmen, under the guise of public service rules.
In a circular cited in the headquarters and distributed to regional offices, the new helmsman said the service rules only permits applicants of not less than 18 years and more than 50 years are expected to be in the services of NBC, likened to the banking sector.
This was against the civil service rules of 60 years of age or 35 years in service by the civil service rules, being reviewed to 65 years in some sectors by the federal and state government.
The circular which may affect many of the NBC contract staff ranges from staffs who had put in from 3 to 6 years on the waiting list for employment after the contract arrangements.
The suspicious screening expected to commence next week by Charles Ebuebu led New NBC has clearly indicated that contract staff above 50 years should not attend the screening and certificate verification.
The ugly development had generated alot of bad blood , as it was reliably gathered that the DG grumbled on the unilateral employment carried out by the immediate past Director General, and his intentions to replace them with people from his extraction.
Other hidden criteria was state of origin, marital status, among many others .
A civil society group , Nigeria first has accused the new Director General, Dr Charles Ebuebu of fanning the embers of tribalism and nepotism too early to be displayed.
A statement issued on Wednesday by the body and signed by Olanipekun Awomolo frowned against this development, novel in the commission.
Olanipekun said some staffs are been retired who were not due for retirement, instead of promotions.
“Why will you sack contract staff employed to carry out statutory functions rather than rewarding them in the highly understaffed agency.”
He called on the Chairman Senate committee on information, the House of Representatives counterpart and the Minister of information to prevail on this ugly development.
“Awomolo Olanipekun maintained that there was no adherence to civil service rules of payment of three months in lieu of notice or payment of benefits made to the contract staffs, who have been working just like their counterpart, the permanent staffs.”
He said the decision if not rescinded, will attract on the picketing of the headquarters in Abuja to protect the hapless and helpless contract staffs of the commission that are been thrown into the employment market.
“This is pure wickedness and abberation on the part of the new DG NBC, Charles Ebuebu against the lay down procedures of the commission and the civil service.”
