Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Aggrieved workers of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), have highlighted the reasons that made them shut down NEMA offices nationwide indefinitely.
The workers under the umbrella of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) and Nigeria Civil Service Union (NCSU) said the their action was in response to maladministration of NEMA Director General, Mustapha Maihaja.
The workers representative, Justin Uche, said in a statement that NEMA is on the verge of administrative collapse if urgent steps are not taken by supervisory authorities to remove the DG.
The union leader was particularly concerned that some national assets like air ambulance, rescue helicopter, emergency response bays nationwide, mobile intensive care ambulances, satellite equipments and several others entrusted to NEMA have decayed due to the negligence.
The workers were also unhappy that the group life insurance for staff which the DG consented to, has not been renewed eight months after the agreement.
He added: “NEMA has obviously failed in its mandate as a disaster management organization. Currently, only relief part of disaster management is functional. No preparedness activity, no early warning or risk reduction programmes, poor state of ambulances.
“Air ambulance service worth millions of dollars has been grounded. Bi-weekly meetings with UN system have been abandoned. Operational vehicles are also grounded at our offices nationwide, ambulance bays are not functional for lack of battery or fuel and several others.”
He also highlighted the issues of payment of group life insurance for staff, hazard/emergency allowance, payment of staff legitimate claims, among others.
Meanwhile, NEMA spokesman, Sani Datti, had in earlier statement claimed that the group life insurance has been approved, in addition to personal accident insurance that was designed to cover staff in the course of official engagement.