general restructuring of government outfits, the
secretariat of the Subsidy Reinvestment and
Empowerment Programme (SURE-P), has
embarked on a hastened wind down of its
programmes and activities towards the May 29
hand over to a new administration to be headed by
Maj Gen Muhammadu Buhari (rtd).
Consequently, the SURE-P chairman, Dr. Ishaya
Dare Akau, has approved massive sack and
disengagement of its staff last week.
According to a letter obtained by THISDAY, which
was signed by the Head of Administration, SURE-
P, Olusoji Adeniran, and dated April 28, 2015, the
staff were informed that their services would no
longer be required since the programme is coming
to an end.
The first paragraph of the letter read: "As you are
already aware the mandate of SURE-P Committee
ends in May 2015. Towards this end, the
secretariat has commenced it's winding down
activities which includes disengagement of staff
amongst others."
This did not however go down well with most of
the disengaged staff who expressed shock and
disappointment that they were not duly informed
before being served a backdated letter.
According some of those who spoke to THISDAY
on the condition of anonymity, the new chairman,
Dr. Akau, since his resumption of office in early
March, has not been officially introduced to staff
members in a meeting or anything of the sort.
"Without his large entourage, he would pass
unnoticed through the secretariat's corridors," the
source noted.
According to them: "SURE-P Committee Members'
tenure expired February 20, 2015 and they
unilaterally decided to disengage the secretariat
staff as well. Selflessness and love for humanity
should have prompted them to make plans for the
staff members who have given years of committed
dedication to see to the actualisation of the SURE-
P mandate.
"The plan would have been to discuss with
President Goodluck Jonathan ; who is their boss,
by the way; and ask a very simple heartfelt
question - "Is SURE-P closing down? Should we
put plans in place for staff members to be placed
in other agencies to avoid unemployment?"
"But no, they went ahead to draw up
disengagement letters to several staff members in
the hope of issuing the same to the rest by May
29, 2015.
"To them, the Buhari administration would not
want to continue the SURE-P, so it should be
scrapped.
"It's interesting to note that staff members have
not been paid monthly wages since February 2015,
with the letters of disengagement stating they will
be paid 'soonest.'"
However, the secretariat was said to have claimed
that lack of funds was the reason behind the lack of
payments, "while committee members are feeding
fat with monthly sitting allowances and ridiculous
'accommodation allowances' for 2015, whereas
their tenure expired back on February 20
(according to their appointment letters issued by
President Goodluck Jonathan back in February
2012.
"It's worthy to note that wages for all SURE-P staff
amounts to N13million monthly. So SURE-P does
not have a mere N13million to pay salaries, while
Secretariat funds brought forward from 2014 was
N200m? It begs the question- where are the
funds?", one of the aggrieved staff asked.
THISDAY findings revealed that in defiance of
labour laws by the Secretariat, staff members
suffered on many levels, apart from lack of
payment of wages for months.
The findings further revealed that the 'disengaged'
staff were not given a month's notice of
disengagement, so they are entitled to a month's
salary in-lieu.
"Sadly, former staff members who have given
years of productive service to the nation through
SURE-P have suddenly been rendered jobless. It is
worthy of note that all the 'disengaged' staff
members are in their 20s and 30s.
According to the administrative arrangement, the
civil servants were seconded to the SURE-P
Secretariat from their various ministries. These one
are not in the SURE-P pay-roll, but they call the
shots. They run the Performance & Operations Unit
(Headed by the Coordinator, they are in charge of
coordinating all SURE-P projects, as regards
interface with contractors and dealing with all the
bureaucratic matters involved.
source
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