The NEMA Strike: The Justification Or Lack Of It

NEMA Head, Media and Public Relations, Sani Datti

By SANI DATTI, Abuja

The management of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the staff at its Headquarters were surprised to discover, on arrival to work, that the gate was shut down and barricaded with Ambulance and ~fire ~fighting Vehicles of the Agency on Monday, 11th June, 2018. It was there and then people got to understand it was the action of the Local Branch of the Association of Senior Civil Servant of Nigeria (ASCSN). There was no without any prior notice given to either the Management or the staff.

The reasons for the ASCSN action were later discovered to have arisen from issues related to operations of vehicles and the Agency’s Aircrafts and some that have already been addressed during the industrial action embarked by the Association in September last year.

Agreement reached between the Management of NEMA with the the ASCSN, witnessed by Ministry of Labour and Employment (MoL&E), was endorsed by all parties. Needless to mention, but for public appreciation and transparency, we provide herewith brief on the progress achieved:

i) Payment of DTAs’ and Other Claims
The management is pleased to state that all outstanding Overtime Allowance (since 2015), which predated the appointment of the present DG, had been settled since last year. As for the payment of DTAs and other claims, which have accrued (since 2015) are being released in batches, and considerable progress have been made on them.

ii) Renewal of Group Life Insurance
After going through rigorous due process (Seeking of “No objection” from BPP, Advert, prequalification, technical and financial tendering, Evaluation and Approval) the have been approved.

iii) Staff Annual Training
The staff annual training for 2017 have been concluded successfully. The 2018 training schedule have been approved by the management and implementation has commenced. Many staff have so far completed their 2018 training annual.

iv) Posting of the Vice Chairman and Treasure
The two (2) official have been redeployed back to headquarters immediately after the signing of the agreement last year. Further to this, the newly elected unit treasurer who was in Lagos has also been redeployed to headquarters.

v) Women Separated from their Families
The management have responded to all request of redeployment by married women of the Agency.

vi) Staff Promotion
The Department of Human Resources Management has concluded preparations, briefs and other related cases, such as conversion, upgrading, confirmation, etc.

To this end the DG has been intimated on the criteria and process of the exercise. Approval cost implication of the needed accreditation of eligible officers has been given and will commence in earnest. This will follow immediately with the fixing of the examination date.

In further consideration of our resolve and commitment for a better welfare to the staff, the management initiated the process of the most needed improved condition of service for the staff.

The report/proposal by the committee has been forwarded to NEMA Governing Council (GC), which has sat and passed a resolution for the constitution of an Establishment Committee headed by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) with a mandate to review the proposal and advice the Council. Having sat three times, the Committee is currently writing its report for onward submission and consideration by the GC.

The NEMA Management sat with the official of the local Unit of the ASCSN in at least two (2) occasions, and the last was an address, made at the instance of the ASCSN official of NEMA, by the management to a large number of the Headquarter’s staff. In addition to this, the National body of the ASCSN have been fully informed of the progress, most recently in a letter written on 6th June, 2018.

The commitment of government was invigorated by the Office of the Secretary of the Federation, where a meeting was convened between the NEMA management and the Association’s officials of the local Unit and all addressed of the government efforts to providing better condition of service for NEMA staff. At the end of the meeting, a resolution was reached that the Vehicular barricade should be removed and another meeting rescheduled to Tuesday, 19th June, 2018.

Further to all the above, its worthy to note that all the relevant Clauses of the Labour Laws on Industrial Action have not been adhere to and hence violated by the Local Unit of the ASCSN. The Law of Nigeria is clear and specific of the role of NEMA being an emergency service provided as “Essential”. The NEMA Unit officials of the ASCSN do not seems to recognise that.

It is imperative to note that, and in consideration of the above mentioned facts, all the areas of disagreement/agreement have been addressed and therefore do not see the connection of the last Industrial Action to the present one called upon by the officials of the Local Association of NEMA.

The government, however, recognises and respect the Constitutional provision for the freedom of association of the citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and enjoys the Local Unit of the NEMA ASCSN to equally respect the sanctity of the Law of the Federal Republic on Nigeria.

-The Head of the Press Unit, NEMA,
Sani Datti