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–Says Ari Performed Beyond Expectation
From Daniel Dauda, Jos
Two worker Unions of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), under the aegis of the Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government Owned Companies (SSASCGOC) and Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE), has berated the faceless Northern group over falsehood publication peddle against the Director General of ITF, Sir Joseph Ari and other management of the fund.
Recall there was a publication by the renowned online media outfit, Sahara Reporters on December 8th, 2022, by pseudo group called-The coalition of Northern Human Rights Groups (NHRG), sequel to the letter of protest to the minister of trade and investment in which the group accused Ari and other management of ITF over lopsided appointment and monetization amongst other allegations.
Addressing newsmen on the matter over the weekend, held at NUJ Secretariat Jos, the State capital, president of SSACSGOC, Kayode Alakija and secretary Othman Palatable described the write up by the faceless group as “malicious publication aimed at causing disaffection within the fund.”
The said based on their firm understanding of the operations of the Fund, their deep appreciation of what the DG has done since his appointment in 2016 and the implication of the story on the image and reputation of our dear institution.
According to them, “on the allegation of ‘nepotism, lopsided appointments and promotion of workers and monetization of the processes’ the NHRG and Sahara Reporters are merely trying to ‘give a dog a bad name in order to hang it’ because since the assumption of office of the DG, the ITF has operated transparently and in keeping with his pledge to heal wounds and work as unto God in the discharge of his duties.
“Therefore, every activity, be it employment, promotions and appointments and others have followed due process which accounts for the industrial harmony that has prevailed in the Fund since his appointment. With regards to the recruitments that Management conducted some years back, it was obvious to everyone associated with the ITF, even before his assumption to office that the Fund was short-staffed owing to retirements and other sundry reasons.
“The DG, therefore, commenced the process of recruiting staff to plug the gaping manpower gaps in a transparent process that involved the Federal Character Commission (FCC), the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, and the ITF Governing Council.
“It is, therefore, preposterous that several years since the recruitment exercise, the DG would be accused of ‘lopsided appointment and bias recruitment’ as if he had sole responsibility for such an exercise, or rode roughshod over the other parties to populate the Fund with ‘indigenes of Plateau State and environs’ as the story suggested.
“Indeed, instead of the suggestion of ‘running the agency as his private estate with the bulk of recruitment into the agency reserved for indigenes of Plateau State and environs,’ the ITF was commended by the Federal Character Commission for adherence to laid down processes in the recruitment exercise.
“There is nothing that suggests the desperation of the medium to impugn the name of the DG than the assertion of “promotion in the agency has been monetised and, in most instances, based on religious and ethnic considerations”.
“As staff of the Fund, we wish to state that the promotion exercises are conducted with the supervision and active participation of the supervising Ministry and the Governing Council based on clearly defined parameters in line with the Civil service rule and condition of service.
“The transparency of the Fund’s promotion exercise has been further enhanced by the introduction of the Computer Based Test (CBT) under the leadership of Sir Joseph N. Ari. Having witnessed the process of our promotion exercise, the FMITI adjudged our exercise as one of the best and therefore, directed the Fund to prepare a template that will be adopted by other agencies under the Ministry.
“Consequently, the issue of lopsided appointments alleged by the publication is not only mischievous but equally satanic and devilish. Interestingly, the last recruitment made by the Fund was in 2019, and the necessary approvals were obtained, and the quota system was duly followed as in accordance with the directive of the Federal Character Commission. From 2019 to date, no other recruitment.
“We, as the Unions, will be first to complain should there be any attempt to subvert the process in favour of others. Anybody familiar with the ITF will testify that the ITF Unions are reputed for their activism”, the unions added.
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