What the out-gone Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria, Mr. Bayo Onanuga thinks is the hip way of remaining in office – has run into protest with staff picketing the agency’s Abuja headquarters at Central Area demanding he gives up power.
Onanuga, whose three-year tenure expired on Saturday, May 25, 2019 had handed over to the Editor-in-Chief, Idris AbdulRahman.
Recall that critical stakeholders in the agency, namely the Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ, Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE), Radio Television Theatre and Art Workers Union of Nigeria (RATTAWU) and the Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporation and Government Owned Companies, (SSACGOC), are locked in a battle with the veteran journalist whose aspiration to be a senator representing Ogun East since 2015 on the platform of the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC, was cut short at the party primary.
They all accused him of slew of underhand dealings including auctioning cars belonging to NAN underground and misappropriating donations received for its 40th year-anniversary in a letter addressed to the Secretary to the federal government, Mustapha Boss, and copied the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC, among others.
“Selling of official vehicles to himself and loyal management staff through a dubious auction process that grossly violated FGN Financial Rules. Using consultants to intimidate any officer perceived to be against his policy through promotion Exam.
“Inability to provide or pay rents of several state offices, including Port Harcourt Zonal Office, Lafia, Yenagoa, Birnin Kebbi and Jalingo, despite the revenue of more than Four Hundred Million Naira (N400m) IGR accrued to the Agency and the Three Hundred and Twenty-One Million Naira (N321M) bail out approved and released to the Agency by President Muhammadu Buhari. Unilateral dismissal of staff and suspensions without salary contrary to civil service rules and regulations. “We challenge ICPC & EFCC to probe the two NAN Bizcom Accounts used in diverting government revenue: 1 Access Bank 0016628258 and Zenith Bank Account 1012782058,” the letter read in part.
However, on Monday, the veteran journalist suddenly reappeared at the office on Monday after he had handed over to Abdulrahman last Friday and announced his return in a memo he personally signed and entitled: “Am Back”.
The memo read further: “I shall remain in charge of the agency until the federal government and President Muhammadu Buhari, my employers rule otherwise. My tenure remains intact.”
The memo, which he addressed to all staff, immediately sparked protest as some staff took to the agency’s gate carrying placards with various inscriptions including: “Onanuga’s tenure has expired PMB Sack Him Now,” “No Reappointment For Onanuga,” and “PMB Please Save NAN now”.
According to sources: “He came back on Monday to issue an official notice that he was no longer going and later met with department heads who later issued a letter to the minister. All those at the meeting are his cronies some of who were just unduly promoted to Acting Director last month.
“All those promoted were not due as they were just promoted last year. Onanuga did this promotion to spite the editorial department. The issue of promotion in the agency is one of the underlying issues in this agitation. There are about nine existing vacancies in the managing cadre in the editorial department which he refused to fill.
“There are officers who have spent close to the mandatory four years to fill these vacancies, but he refused. Instead he went to other Departments to appoint directors, some of whom were promoted last year. His plan is to whittle the voting strength of the editorial department at management meetings which he achieved today.”
