The ministry of aviation has given staff of the Accident Investigation Bureau Nigeria (AIB-N) in Lagos up to Monday, February 28, 2022 to move to Abuja.
It was gathered that the administrative department of the agency had on Wednesday issued an internal memo to all the staff to resume in Abuja on or before Monday, threatening that anyone who failed to comply would be sanctioned.
The directive followed the planned demolition of the agency’s regional office at the international wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos to pave the way for apron of the new terminal built by China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC).
Checks by NewsGazette on Friday showed that the staff were in panicky mood as they were seen removing things from the offices.
Some staff who spoke on condition of anonymity lamented that they were only given two working days to comply with the directive.
One of them wondered why the management would issue such directive to the workers when relocation allowance was yet to be paid to any of the workers.
He also disclosed that over 90 per cent of the workers were yet to collect the January 2022 pay and wondered where they would get the money to relocate to Abuja.
“We on Wednesday received a letter from the admin department, which directed us to move to Abuja without prior notice. We were given till Monday to relocate to Abuja even when we don’t have a befitting office there and nothing is being said about our accommodation. And as we stand, no one is talking about relocation allowances to the workers.
“Even, in the civil service rule, you can’t compel staff to relocate without the payment of relocation allowances. Staff are using their personal resources to relocate government property to Abuja,” the staff said.
Speaking in an interview, the deputy general secretary of Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), Mr. Frances Akinjole, said the union was not aware of the relocation order.
However, the general secretary of national Union of Air Transport Employee (NUATE), Mr. Ocheme Aba, confirmed the relocation directive.
He also disclosed that some senior staff of the bureau, especially those in the finance department, were paid relocation allowance since 2020, but refused to move.
Aba also confirmed that most of the staff were yet to get their January salary, but said the ministry of aviation had promised to pay them once they relocated to Abuja.
“Information I gathered is that some of the staff have been paid relocation allowance for some period now, but refused to move to Abuja. As you are aware, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) last week sent a letter to the agency that they wanted to demolish the building for apron for the new terminal at the Lagos Airport.
“Because of this, the management now said everyone should relocate to Abuja. Though, they have not been given relocation allowances, but the ministry promised that all their outstanding would be paid to them once they move,” he said.
