By Felix Khanoba
Civil servants seeking the removal of the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Evelyn Ngige, on Wednesday paralysed activities at the ministry.
The civil servants in a protest, which started at about 10am, prevented any activity from taking place at the ministry as they chanted various solidarity songs as well as carrying placards with various inscriptions.
Speaking to journalists during the protest, the Chairman, Joint Negotiating Council in the Ministry, Comrade Onwuyai Okonkwo, said the protest became imperative following series of consultations and intervention with staff on the state of affairs in the Ministry since August 2021 when the current Permanent Secretary assumed duty in the Ministry.
He said since assumption of office of the current Permanent Secretary, the Ministry has been in a deplorable state of affairs evidenced by low workers morale and poor service delivery.
He alleged that the deplorable state at the ministry was brought about by the activities and administrative tendencies of the Permanent Secretary.
Okonkwo said, “The presence of the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry can no longer guarantee industrial harmony.
“Consequently, staff unanimously resolved that the Permanent Secretary be redeployed with immediate effect to restore confidence and sense of harmony in the workplace.
“Staff requests that funds for payment of Training Allowance should be complete and made available to conclude the process on or before 15 November, 2021 all with a view to dousing the restive atmosphere already created by the unfolding events.”
Meanwhile, Ifedayo Sayo, the media aide to the Minister of Industry ,Trade and Investment, Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo, has distanced his boss from the demand by civil servants in the ministry to redeploy the Permanent Secretary.
He said the minister has no hands in sponsoring the Union as he has a very wonderful relationship with the Permanent Secretary, noting that there is no reason for him to facilitate her removal from office as being insinuated in some quarters.
The minister’s spokesman also debunked allegation that Adebayo was behind every negative occurrence at the ministry, claiming that if he wanted to sponsor the removal of anyone, he will not do it through the Union but go straight to the Head of Service of the Federation to make such request.
On his recent walk out of the Union from a meeting to broker peace with the Permanent Secretary, he said it was very important for the Minister to do so because the Union was giving him deadline and terms for removing the Permanent Secretary.
He however, called on the Union to channel its grievances appropriately to the right quarters instead of involving the minister.
