Joint unions within the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) have expressed strong disapproval of Senator Godswill Akpabio’s announcement regarding certain members of the agency’s board, labeling them as executive board members. The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) and the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE) conveyed their discontent in a letter addressed to Akpabio.
Senator Akpabio, the President of the Senate, had recently disclosed the constitution of a new FERMA board but used the term “executive board members” to refer to some of the appointees, which deviated from the usual nomenclature for board members.
In their jointly signed letter, ASCSN Chairman Mr. Paul Onimisi and AUPCTRE Chairman Mr. Abdulmumin Idris described this announcement as discouraging and demoralizing to FERMA’s staff. The letter emphasized that designating certain individuals as executive board members was inconsistent with the FERMA Act and detrimental to the career progression of agency employees.
The letter stated: “The appointment of some persons as executive board members is contrary to the provisions of Section 2(2) of the FERMA Act as amended and career progression within government agencies. It is counterproductive and demoralizing for career officers as the intention is for the executive board members to take over from career officers who are running departments.”
The unions urged Senator Akpabio to align with the FERMA Act in confirming board appointments. They warned that failing to do so could lead to disruptions in the agency’s structure, a departure from its mandate, and a decrease in worker morale.
The unions further contended that naming some board members as executive board members would create a “board within a board,” pulling the agency in conflicting directions regarding its mandate. They sought to draw attention to this issue and called for the immediate rectification of what they perceived as an anomaly.
The letter concluded with a reference to President Bola Tinubu’s “renewed hope agenda” and the demand that the appointees be confirmed as regular board members rather than executive ones. The joint unions threatened resistance to any action contrary to the provisions of the FERMA (Establishment Act 2002) as amended.
