Probe Alleged Lopsided Appointments in NIMET, APC Chieftain Urges Senate

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Oluwafemi Adegboye, has alleged lopsidedness in the appointments made by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET).

He alleged that recruitments were done in flagrant disregard of federal character at the agency. 

He therefore sent a petition to the Senate to probe the alleged anomaly.

Copies of the petition were also sent to President Bola Tinubu; Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF); Chairman, Senate Committee on Aviation and the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB).

In the petition, a copy of which was sighted by THISDAY in Abuja on Monday, the APC chieftain demanded that the executive management team and some senior managers should be placed on compulsory leave for proper investigations to take place.

He said investigations should also be conducted on all contracts execution in the last nine years and all payments from the agency’s account in the last five years.

Other aspects identified for probe are training funds in the last three years; the three directorates created and the salary grade level placement in the last six years.

Adegboye, who is also a member of the Afenifere Renewal Group, further urged the president to call for the genuine review of the NIMET Act.

He said the last review was done based on selfish interest by the former minister, Senator Hadi Sirika.

He said a special team should ensure that all the lapses in NIMET are corrected after investigations.

Part of the statement read: “In the last eight years, the management, supported by the former minister, Sen. Hadi Sirika, has been operating in flagrant disobedience to principles of federal character.

“All the employments done during this period are one sided, in favour of the North Western part of the country, Katsina State in particular.

“All appointments into the executive and senior management level of the agency are lopsided.

“Some southern staff were deliberately denied promotion this year, regardless of availability of vacancies in their cadres.”