Honourable
Minister of Communications ShittuAdebayo might have just irretrievably
indicted himself in the case of inhumane and possible unlawful treatment
of his ministerial aides. Before today, all the claims of one of the
aides Victor Damilare was nearly conjecture when it was broken by Sahara
Reporters.
But
today, the Honourable Minister released documents that in no way help
him on this matter.On twitter, today 09 April 2019, he personally
released 2 cheques and 2 letters. In one letter, he belatedly informed
his aide that he was to be paid 100 thousand monthly and then the
Ministershows 2 terminal payment cheques for 1.3 million for Victor
Damilare and 2.5 million for TajudeenSheikh. Together, these 2 documents
show that Minister Adebayo Shittu owed his aides for 13months and 25
months respectively. At the least, this is a violation of employment
laws and should be brought before the Industrial Labour Court. It is
also morally abhorrent that in the same period, Victor Damilare pointed
out that the Minister Shittu Alao earned about 266 million naira in
ESTACODE.
The
letter released by the Hon Minister where he notified Victor of his
monthly salary of 100 thousand was issued in June 2016, a clear 7 months
after Victor’s engagement in December 2015. The letter also belatedly
informs Victor that the 500 thousand naira he received on resumption was
actually for 5 months. Clearly, the 500 thousand naira, requested by
Victor was paid in the first month on his engagement, just as he has
been saying. Then after keeping him working for 7 months without pay,
the Hon Ministersuddenly gives him a letter, telling him that the first
money was for 5 months. This does not pass the smell test at all.
Something is very wrong with this sequence of events which the
Minister’s very own documents incontrovertibly confirm.
What
is without doubt is that the Honourable Minister treated his aides
inhumanely by not paying them for 7 months, 13 months and 25 months as
is now clear by documentary evidence. It is very much below the
standards that public officers of his stature need to be held to. It
does not reflect anything of this administration that 1 year after this
issue arose, he is still in cabinet. It might seem trivial to some, but
in the context of incessant complaints by Nigerians that Chinese, Indian
and Lebanese employers in Nigeria maltreat Nigerians in Nigeria, this
confirmation that a National Minister has behaved in exactly the same
can be seen as indirect ascent to the similar behaviour of foreign
employers in Nigeria. This seems to be part of the pain of Queen
Adeyosola whilst marking the 1 year milestone since the issue occurred.
For a government that wants to be seen as a government of the people, this clear violation of industrial labour laws by Minister Adebayo Shittuof such seniority in government is contrary to the message and mission of the government. Left unattended now, after the Hon Minister’s own documentary admission, it would be endorsement and a stamp of approval by the Federal Government. It may seem that no one was hurt by the Hon Minister’s failure to present an NYSC Certificate, this however, is different, specific people have been hurt, denied their right, tricked, starved and then further humiliated with termination because they dared to complain. Something ought to be done and here is another opportunity to do something.
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