April 27, (THEWILL) – The Joint Action Congress (JAC) of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has said the recent strike embarked upon by the agency’s workers was avoidable but blamed it on the incompetence of the Director-General/Chief Executive Officer, Prof. Charles Anosike.
The JAC leadership also lamented the loss of three staff members in the past two months due to what they described as avoidable circumstances linked to acute poverty, calling on the Federal Government to urgently remove Anosike before further disasters occur in the agency.
The JAC leaders — Comrade Aliyu Awotu, Chairman of the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE); Samson Ambore, Chairman of the Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals (ANAP); and Hycent Okunbor, Chairman of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) — made their grievances known in a joint interview.
They accused successive Chief Executive Officers of NiMet of underestimating the agency’s workforce, adding that leadership and financial challenges had long plagued the organisation.
The unionists identified the deceased staff members as Comrade Sunday Aribisala of the Oshodi, Lagos office, who reportedly slumped and died at work; Mr. Elise Obende, of the Corporate Communications Department, who was involved in a fatal accident at Abaji while returning from an official trip to Lagos without receiving Duty Tour Allowance (DTA); and Mr. Usom Eshiet of the Akwa Ibom office, who died of kidney complications after NiMet allegedly failed to support his medical treatment despite his 27 years of service.
“We lost three of our staff in controversial circumstances, reflecting the abject poverty the agency has descended into, while the DG and his associates continue to enjoy multiple DTAs and globe-trotting privileges.
“Meanwhile, mounting pressure continues to weigh heavily on NiMet staff, even as management feasts on the agency’s Internally Generated Revenue,” the unions said.
JAC also alleged that Anosike’s appointment by President Bola Tinubu violated the 2022 NiMet Act, which stipulates that the DG/CEO must possess a professional degree in meteorology, climate science, or a related field, with at least 15 years of cognate experience.
They claimed Anosike lacked the necessary qualifications and noted that a lawsuit challenging his appointment, filed by Barrister Kasarachi of KALEPRON Attorneys, had been pending before Justice Ayo Omotosho at the Federal High Court for the past 10 months.
The unions stated, “His appointment is like putting a square peg in a round hole, leading to total fiasco at NiMet.
“He has no qualifications to be a scientist in geo-science, meteorology, aeronautic meteorology, or climate science.
“None of the management staff possesses the technical or managerial capacity to steer the agency. The DG continues to rely on former staff as Special Advisers, while competent employees are sidelined.”
JAC further alleged that about 30 technical staff involved in the recent Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) presentation had yet to be paid their approved allowances, seven months after the event.
The unions called on the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo, to urgently intervene to prevent NiMet’s fortunes from deteriorating further.
Anthony Awunor, is a business correspondent who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Linguistics (UNILAG). He is also an alumnus of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria Kaduna State. He lives in Lagos.
