Concerned officers of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have called on President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately sack and prosecute the agency’s Chairman, Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah, over allegation of administrative recklessness, insensitivity, criminal neglect of officers welfare, impunity and corrupt practices.
But spokesman of the agency, Jona Achema, dismissed the allegation, saying that the chairman was being wrongly accused by some of the staff of the organisation, noting that most of the problems impeding the activities of the agency were inherited and the current administration is striving to improve the welfare of the personnel.
But in the petition signed by Sule Ali, the workers said that many of them had put up 10 years in the agency without promotion.
“The truth is that there has been no promotion in NDLEA since you came in to office. The incompetence, impunity and administrative witch-hunt under Abdallah have risen to a level where an implosion is almost inevitable.
“After series of agitations by officers over the criminal neglect of their welfare and career stagnation, Abdallah in a circular dated April 3, 2018 with reference number NDLEA/ALS/ADM/100/V/90 admitted his failure and inaction. He also promised to correct his mistakes.
“In that circular titled Issues Relating to Promotion, Abdallah stated ‘I have carefully considered all the issues relating to irregular and delayed promotion in the Agency and I am determined to put in place an enduring and sustainable promotion process and procedure. This is to enable the Agency achieve the desired morale for optimal productivity by the personnel’” the workers said.
The aggrieved workers said the circular gave them some ray of hope but “this was only a hoax. Abdallah in a most irresponsible and dishonourable fashion reneged on his words in pursuit of his characteristic nonchalance and ineptitude.”
“Abdallah in that circular promised to conclude the promotion of staff on grade level 03 to 06 by June 2018 and continue up the ladder. In his words, “the Director of Administration and Finance is to set up a committee to examine, review and make appropriate recommendations on the promotion of personnel on COMPASS 7, some of whom have been on this rank for ten years. The promotion of officers on COMPASS 8 to 15 shall commence immediately after”.
The workers said this also was a lie because “here we are in 2019 on the same spot. The committee he constituted presented recommendations in less than a week yet he lacks initiative on what to do.”
