Agency's activities grounded as strike enters day 2

chika ebuzor

September 25, 2017 5:15 PM

A handful of staff were seen hanging around outside the gate but could not gain entry into the office.

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) headquarter in Abuja on Monday, September 25, remained sealed as the strike declared by its workers enters day two.

A Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) who visited the head office at 3.30 p.m reports that it is deserted and the gate to the office is padlocked.

It is observed that a handful of staff were seen hanging around outside the gate but could not gain entry to the office.

NAN recalls that the NAFDAC’s Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria started an industrial action on Sept. 22, over improved allowances and appointment of a substantive Director-General for the agency.

The Vice President of the union, Mr Idzi Isua, told NAN that the officials were around to ensure absolute and total compliance by their members.

Isua said that the union was demanding for a specific allowance which other agencies in the same salary structure with NAFDAC are benefiting.

He explained that the issue had been lingering since 2013 and later realised that the management was not ready to honour the agreement.

According to him, part of their demands is for the Federal Government to appoint a substantive director-general because the tenure of the present acting D-G, Mrs Yetunde Oni, has expired.

“As I am speaking to you, our office in Lagos and other offices across the country are shut down and they will remain so until our demands are met,” he said.

Reacting to the development, Mr Jimoh Abubakar, Director of Public Relations and Special Duties, NAFDAC, told NAN that the appointment of the D-G was an exclusive preserve of the President.

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Abubakar said that the controversy surrounding the appointment of an acting director-general was needless, adding that the federal government is aware of the situation and will take appropriate action at the right time.

“Government in its wisdom will take the appropriate decision, we should not be in a hurry, government is aware of information we are not privy to,’’ said the spokesman.

chika ebuzor