Recruitment scandal rocks PENCOM as candidates petition Presidency.
Some Nigerians have petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari over alleged recruitment scandal in the National Pension Commission (PENCOM).
In a letter dated June 1, 2018 and addressed to Abba Kyari, the Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, and the SGF, Boss Mustapha; the PENCOM recruits accused the Commission’s acting director general, Aisha Dahir-Umar, of “shortchange successfully recruited candidates with her proxies.”
“Following the completion of an aptitude test and interview conducted in December 2016/January 2017, we were issued with Letters of Employment by PENCOM, after which we signed and submitted acceptance letters with the Commission accordingly,” the letter which was signed by Mustapha Sadiq and Ismail Gazali said.
“As stated in our appointment letters, we were to assume duty on May 2nd and June 5th, 2017, respectively. However, prior to our date of resumption, we were informed via telephone calls of indefinite postponement of our assumption of duty, a dilemma we have remained in till date, despite the fact that majority of us had resigned from our previous places of employment", the petitioners submitted.
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The petitioners called for the intervention of the Presidency and members of the public, saying, "life has been very unbearable since we resigned our services elsewhere immediately we got appointment letters from PENCOM.”
The Office of the SGF, in a reply with reference number 56331/S.3/C2/I/T/99, said that “a response from the Commission stated that the decision was based on the need to allow for a review of the earlier recruitment exercise(s) to: ensure compliance with Extant Laws and due process; recruitment within approved manpower establishment; and provide required infrastructure to accommodate new appointees”.
However, insider sources at PENCOM have faulted that claim, alleging that the Acting DG was “deliberately misleading the Office of the SGF.”
The sources said the successful PENCOM recruits were employed based on the manpower needs of the Commission as approved by the Executive Board and articulated in its approved annual budget.
He noted that the employment by the PENCOM Board followed due process in line with their powers under Section 25 (2) (a) of the Pension Reform Act (2014) relating to appointment and promotion of the staff of the Commission.
“The truth is that, the Acting DG is trying to use the same approval earlier given by the former EXCO and the Federal Character Commission to recruit fresh people to replace those already given appointment letters after passing through all due processes.
“The Commission is only trying to open an unnecessary floodgate of litigation," the source stated.
Checks with sources at PENCOM indicate that, the agency, since the general dissolution of Boards in 2017, has not had any Board in place to regulate the activities of the Acting DG.
An anonymous source at the Commission confirmed that, the Acting DG has no powers to rescind decisions already approved and concluded by the Executive Committee and Board of the agency.
“Equally, the employment of the aggrieved persons was also clearly and legally done in line with Section 28 (1) of PRA (2014), which states that the Board may from time to time appoint such other categories of employees as may appear to it expedient and necessary for the proper and efficient performance of its functions.
“So, if anyone is doing anything illegal here, it is the Acting DG, Aisha Dahir-Umar, who is trying to circumvent the valid decision and concluded employment process of the then PENCOM Board.
"This is why it is wrong to allow an agency that controls about N8 trillion to run without an Executive Committee and Governing Board for more than a year”, the source maintained.
All efforts to get the management of PENCOM to react to this, proved abortive, as the Acting DG was said not to be on seat as at the time of call.
Peter Aghahowa, the officer in charge of Corporate Communications and Media Unit of the Commission could not provide any official response, when contacted severally on phone.
"Let me check and get back to you", Aghahowa replied our reporter on Friday, June 22, 2018, while several calls made to him were not answered as at press time.