The Minister of Niger Delta Alfairs, Sen. Godswill Akpablo has directed the immediate recall of all staff of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) sent on compulsory leave, in April 2020.
Akpabio gave the directive when he received the Interim Report of the committee set up in September to look into some prevailing staff mattrers in the Commission in Abuja.
A statement by the Ministry’s Director, Press and Public Relations, Patricia Deworitse recalled that Sen. Akpabio who had expressed concerns about the agitation within the rank and files in the Commission had set up the Committee to look into circumstances that led to the compulsory leave of some management staff, promotion, appointment and disciplinary exercises carried out in this regard.
The statement added that the committee, which was guided by the provisions of the Public Service Rules, Financial Regulations, the Act Setting up the NDDC, Condition of Service andother Extant Guidelines and Regulations guiding staff and related matters was to examine generally the circumstances militating against a healthy workatmosphere and other attendant issues at the commission.
The chairman of the committee, Mrs. Lauren Braide, noted that theCommittee in carrying out its assignment on the compulsory Ieave matter, had meetings, consultations with the Directors of Human Resources Management (HRM) in both the Ministry and NDDC, examinedapplicable relevant rules and regulations, guidelines, documents and files to guide it in establishing the correctness or otherwise of the processes leading to the compulsory leave.
“Therefore, the Committee recommended the immediate recall of all the affected sent on compulsoiy leave to allow for fair play, peace, industrial harmonyin the NDDC and to avail the Forensic Auditors institutional memory”, the statement added..
The committee noted however, that he recommendation is not prejudicial to any future findings in the course of its on-going assignment.
