NEPC Boss Allegedly Sets up Disciplinary Committee to Sack “Non-Conformists”
By Our Correspondent
Palpable fear and a growing discontent has enveloped the estwhile peaceful community of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council( NEPC), as the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mrs Nonye Ayeni has allegedly set up a disciplinary Committee to deal with “non-loyalists and Non- conformists” within the council, Business Africa Digest has learnt .
Checks conducted by this Online newspaper indicate that the development is sequel to a recent burglary incident at the Accounts Department of the Council coupled with previous petitions on alleged persistent acts of corruption, intimidation, selective punishment, and ethnic favouritism under Mrs. Ayeni’s leadership.
A senior staff member of the Council who prefers anonymity told Business Africa Digest that the burglary incident at the Accounts Department was reported to the security agencies which resulted to the interviews of several staff members of the Council, a development which may have necessitated the setting up of the alleged “disciplinary Committee”.
Though, the terms of reference of the disciplinary Committee are yet to be made clear, a staff privy to this arrangements told this newspaper that the final recommendation would be targeted at “perceived enemies” of management.
Before now, several istaff members have accused the Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mrs. Nonye Ayeni, of alleged abuse of office, nepotism, high-handedness, and a blatant disregard for the Public Service Rules.
Another major cause of the deepening tension, Business Africa Digest has learnt, is the controversial and vindictive mass redeployment of almost 70 officers from the NEPC headquarters in Abuja to states where there is rising insecurity , without payment of accompanying allowances as set out in the public service regulations, just as the staff described the development as unfair, lopsided, and poorly-conceived.
Sources reveal that the redeployment was not driven by any necessity or needs assessment, but rather served as a tool of intimidation and coercion.
The lingering crisis of the NEPC under Ayeni, a staff told this newspaper, may also not be unconnected with lack of competence, corporate governance issues, suppression of dissenting opinions, and the manipulation of administrative processes for personal gains.
Added to these growing woes that now veil the Council and blinded the thinking of Management under Ayeni is the over 49 audit queries from the office of the Auditor General of the Federation.
The audit queries unearthed several issues bordering on violations of financial regulations, which are yet to be answered.
Some Staff of the Council had earlier submitted petitions to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), calling for a comprehensive investigation into the activities of Mrs. Ayeni as the Chief Executive Officer of the NEPC.
Several attempts at making calls and text messages to the Head of Information and Public Relations and the Chief Executive officer of the Council for their responses proved abortive as at the time of going to press.
– Part 1
