Aggrieved workers working on the African Union Development Agency-New Partnership for Africa’s Development Nigeria on Wednesday voiced their deep dissatisfaction and frustration relating to what they described as a collection of unjust actions and abuse of workplace perpetrated by the organisation’s Chief Executive Officer, Ms. Gloria Akobundu.
The workers, who staged a protest on the NEPAD headquarters, referred to as for her dismissal attributable to poor administration, claiming that Akobundu had turned the federal government establishment right into a household/personal enterprise.
They additionally accused the CEO of maladministration and monetary misappropriation since she took workplace in September 2016.
In movies obtained by our correspondent, workers members blocking entry to the premises have been seen carrying placards and singing solidarity songs whereas demanding improved welfare.
Some of the captions learn, “Enough of unhealthy administration, Charity begins at house, Princess Akinbogun should go, Our duties are being dealt with by her aides, she illegally positioned her brother as a non-civil servant on the continental workplace (South Africa).
Other captions learn, ” Our duties are handed over to her aides, all our departmental programmes have been contracted out Akobundu should go, NEPAD is a authorities workplace, not for household and pals,” amongst others.
Speaking in one of many movies, a member of workers, Aliu Abubakar, claimed that Akobundu has refused to permit staff to hold out official duties however relatively employed the providers of non-NEPAD workers members.
He additionally urged President Bola Tinubu to conduct an intensive investigation into the actions of the organisation in eight years.
He stated, “The protest is all about maladministration and monetary misappropriation that has been occurring on this organisation for nearly eight years now below the management of Princess Gloria Akobundu. We have been struggling and speaking to her however she doesn’t wish to hear. We have determined to make our grievances identified in order that the entire world will hear us, and we, by this protest, are calling on President Bola Tinubu to do the needful by sacking the CEO. We are additionally calling for an intensive investigation of this organisation.
“The organisation is being run like a household enterprise. Staff should not being allowed to hold out their perform. Some actions are purported to be carried out by the workers of the group. But sadly, what usually occurs, as an alternative of permitting the workers to take part in these actions, you see outsiders.
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“Sometimes we shall be in our varied rooms. We simply see on the tv that some actions, some packages are occurring. But to our best shock, as an alternative, we see different people who find themselves non-NEPAD workers. So, she picks some individuals outdoors to come back and faux as if they’re NEPAD workers. Meanwhile, the true bonafide NEPAD workers should not those benefiting or taking part in these programmes.
“She has been the national coordinator and Chief Executive Officer for the past eight years because she was appointed by former President Muhammadu Buhari on the 26th of September 2016, and by the 26th of September 2016, it will be exactly eight years. NEPAD, Nigeria is a government establishment. But in a situation where somebody is running the affairs of the organisation, like a private or personal entity, is not allowed.”
Another workers, who gave his identify as Abubakar stated the protest is to let the president and Nigerians know that the organisation is below bondage and workers have been struggling within the final eight years.
“We want to make sure that the Federal Government knows what has been going on in this office. And I want to use this opportunity to call on President Bola Ahmed to bail us out because we have been in bondage in the last eight years,” he stated.
Responding to the allegations on Wednesday night time, the CEO, in a phone dialog, denied all claims by the workers, stating that she had performed her greatest for everybody working on the organisation.
Akobundu, who confirmed to our correspondent to be on a sick mattress receiving therapy, added that the difficulty is a household matter and shall be resolved adequately.
She stated, “Thank you for reaching out to get my facet of the story. But sadly, as I’m speaking to you now, I’m standing earlier than a health care provider to take an injection. I wasn’t feeling effectively, however I needed to go and tackle them as a result of I learnt that there was some type of unrest on the premises. I attempted to seek out out who was sponsoring it, however no one claimed accountability. The main unions should not a part of what’s going on, in order that they stated it’s only a group of workers. I requested what’s the downside and all the things boils all the way down to small help for employees.
“The SGF sent a director to hear out what is happening because there are things I may be doing right that they think are wrong. At the end of the day, we found out that it is a family thing and a normal request to support them with more logistics and more welfare. I have assured them that we would do our best because welfare and training are well carried out in the organisation.”
The programme they talked about occurred over the last protest, and I didn’t wish to endanger anybody’s life. That is why all workers weren’t carried alongside. On welfare, I’ve performed my greatest and I’ve ensured that we don’t owe any of them.”
AUDA-NEPAD, an organisation established by the African Union, is a part of the worldwide reforms geared at enhancing the Union’s affect and operational effectivity.
The mandate of AUDA-NEPAD is to Coordinate and Execute precedence regional and continental tasks to advertise regional integration in direction of the accelerated realisation of Agenda 2063 and Strengthen the capability of African Union Member States and regional our bodies, advance knowledge-based advisory help, undertake the complete vary of useful resource mobilization and function the continent’s technical interface with all Africa’s growth stakeholders and growth companions.