The Benin National Congress has called on Nigeria’s Green chamber, the House of Representatives to investigate the alleged wrongful disengagement of staff believed to be mostly of Edo State origin by the Federal Ministry of Works.
In its letter of Complaint dated 18th December, 2023 addressed to the Speaker of the lower Chamber of the National Assembly, the advocacy group is also asking that the masterminds of this wicked act be brought to book while the victims- Agbede Ivie (Mrs), Ogieva Daniel, Edokpolor Ileso, Omoyemi John(Mrs) and Ebhohimen Ambrose and others should be reabsorbed into the service and their salaries as well as all their entitlements are fully restored without further delay.
According to the Congress, the victims were employed following due process and the same process ought to be followed if their removal from office becomes necessary. It decried a situation where a3- month suspension is being stylishly turned to termination of appointment without establishing their offence or trial by any competent court of law. Several months after the expiry of the suspension they have continued to suffer denial of entitlements.
The victims, according to the BNC letter signed by the President Aiyamenkhue Edokpolo and the Secretary Maxwell Uwagboe, were promoted upon relevant certification by appropriate authorities but were later queried over the appropriateness or otherwise of their promotion, an act which is not their making, following which their letters of promotion were deceitfully withdrawn from them as a way of destroying evidence.
“It is oppressive, discriminatory and unfair to continue to deny the victims their salaries, emoluments and/ or entitlements with consequential blight on their lives and career without fair trial”, BNC states.
“It remains malevolently scandalous, vindictive, and unconstitutional to penalize and / or punish citizen, save and except in pursuant of a written law and /or upon trial by a competent court”, the body adds.
The body therefore prays amongst others, “That the victims be unconditionally reabsorbed into the service with full restoration of their salaries, benefits, emoluments, promotion without further delay.”