- Allegation baseless -DG
The management of the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency is currently mired in an abuse-of-office crisis, officials of the agency, who spoke in separate interviews with our correspondent, have alleged.
An official, who would not want to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter, said there had been a gross abuse of administrative processes in the recruitment exercise.
“The management has continued to work with total disregard for extant rules and regulations governing appointment, secondment, transfer of service and proper placement in public service as provided for by the Act,” he said.
Another source, close to the management of the agency, alleged that, from the inception of the agency in 2006, “appointment, promotion and issues of proper placement have been done fraudulently,” warning that continuous perpetration of such anomaly was dangerous and could constitute a threat to the corporate existence of the nation.
The Point gathered that the management of NOSDRA recruited top officers like deputy directors without following the due process.
The source added, “It was done as a personal and private affair where all known procedures and relevant establishment regulations in decision making process were indiscriminately abused.
“People were recruited into positions as high as Deputy Director, Assistant Director and Grade 10- 14 officers with no requisite qualifications and experience to earn them such positions except being close friends or relations to any of the directors or director-general.”
However, the Director-General, Mr Peter Idabor, refuted the allegations and asserted that it was an internal issue that would be resolved internally.
Idabor told The Point that his office had received over 30 petitions regarding the issue of maladministration at the agency, and pointed at predominance of greed within the agency.
To him, such moves are aimed at bringing down the reputation of the management.
The DG said, “Some of these directors here don’t have more than 20 months to retire from the agency. Some political appointees probably have less than that because it is a question of one leg in one leg out.
“I don’t have problems with any of the staff of NOSDRA checkmating their colleagues’ certificates as requisite documents for their promotions but they should do that with facts and not sentiments.”
