By Aderogba George
Mr Kpamor Ihindan, a Principal Admin Officer with the NAFDAC has said that the ongoing indefinite strike declared by the workers Union will give room for smuggling of illegal goods and drugs.
Ihindan told the the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Tuesday in Abuja while condemning the strike, saying that it was baseless.
He said that since NAFDAC is not present at the port of entry as a result of the strike, it will pave way for substandard goods and drugs, to enter into the country.
NAN reports that the unions in the agency which comprises of Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporation and Government Owned Companies (SSACGOC) and Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN) commenced indefinite strike on Oct. 7.
The unions have faulted the vacancy clause in the Federal Civil Service promotion examination, a situation which left many not been promoted in the 2024 promotion exercise, after writing the promotion exam.
NAN reports that the strike which was called for by the union leaders had cause division among staff of the agency which many did not support.
Ihindan said that the unions are striking in order for the management of the agency to review the result of the 2024 promotion examination, which he said may not be possible.
“We just had the 2024 promotion exam, people passed, some pass but for the lack of vacancies they were not promoted, so it is not as if everybody that did not promoted failed.
“Some did not make up the 60 per cent marks enlisted as standard pass mark as considered by the Public Service Rule (PSR).
“These unions are also striking as a result of appointment of directors for Northeast and Northwest, these are locations where the agency have a schedule for the appointment of its directors.
“The agency used to have 13 directorate before, but we have reached 23 as a result of expansion, if the agency was not interested in accommodating more it wouldn’t have expanded,” Ihindan stressed.
“The unions were also not happy with the replacement exercise of new staff which happened in 2022, some of these new staff were yet to get their arrears and other benefits hence another reason for the strike,” he said.
He frowned with the striking unions who he said they did not employed the alternative dispute resolution, before going on strike, adding that they should have embarked on a warning strike as stated by the Public Service Rule (PSR) to allow the management to react.
Mr Aonda Belabo, a Principal Programme Analyst with the agency also condemned the strike saying the union should have dialogue with the management before going on strike.
Belabo said that the union should have voice out and make their struggle know with the Head of Service about the less vacancies in the promotion before writing the 2024 promotion exam in the agency.
He declared as null and void the ongoing strike, describing it as medicine after death.
According to him, there is nothing the management could do since the result of the examination has been made know to the public.
He said that the current management of NAFDAC is the best since the inception of the agency, saying that the current management has listening ears.
Belabo also condemned the striking unions for not employing the alternative dispute resolutions before going on strike. (NAN)