The Joint Action Congress (JAC) of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMeT) has disclosed that NiMeT lost three of its staff in the last two months to avoidable circumstances and acute poverty.

They have called on the Federal Government to expedite action on the removal of Charles Anosike, its Director-General from office before more disasters are recorded in the agency, adding that his leadership lacked the capability, qualification and experience to lead the agency.

The JAC leadership, Aliyu Awotu, Chairman, Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE); Samson Ambore, Chairman Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals (ANAP), and Hycent Okunbor, the Chairman, National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), in a joint interview lamented the current situation in the agency.

The JAC leaders decried that Nimet had over the years been faced with leadership and financial challenges, while its staff were underrated by succeeding Chief Executive Officers (CEOs).

The JAC leaders mentioned the names of the lost staff as Sunday Aribisala of Oshodi, Lagos office who they alleged slumped and died in office; Elise Obende, a staff of the Corporate Communications of Nimet who travelled to Lagos to receive an award on behalf of the DG, but without the Duty Tour Allowance (DTA), had an accident on his way back at Abaji and one Usom Eshiet in its Akwa ibom office, who died of kidney complications when Nimet could not assist him to raise necessary funds for his medications. Eshiet was said to have put in 27 years in service at Nimet.

They said: ?More so, this recent strike was avoidable, but the management of Nimet led by Charles Anosike, the DG/CEO is so incompetent, inexperienced and visionless to manage the organisation.

?We lost three of our staff in controversial circumstances, showing the level of abject poverty that we have dropped into at a time the DG and his cronies were getting different DTAs and junketing the globe. All these issues have been mounting pressures on NiMeT staff, while the management are busy eating fat on the Internally Generating Revenue of NiMeT.?

Besides, JAC reiterated that the appointment of Anosike by President Bola Tinubu violated the 2022 NiMeT Act, which stipulated that the ?qualified candidate to be the DG/CEO of NiMeT must have a professional degree in meteorology, climate science or related with over 15 years cognate experience.?

The unions declared that Anosike did not have the prerequisite qualification for the job.

They further added a suit challenging the appointment of Anosike from Barr. Kasarachi of KALEPRON Attorneys had been in the Federal High court in the last 10months under Justice Ayo Omotosho.

They added: ?His appointment was wrong, it?s like putting a square peg in a round hole and what this portends is total fiasco at NiMeT. He has no qualification to be a scientist in the field of geo science, meteorology, aeronautic meteorology and/or a climate scientist.

?None of the management staff is capable of managing its affairs. They are totally numbed to the science of meteorology, administrations and proper managerial skills. The present DG keeps former staff as Special Advisers, while competent staff are relegated in the system.?

JAC leaders also purported that about 30 technical staff of NiMeT who participated in the recent Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) presentation to the public, were yet to be paid their approved allowance seven months after the conclusion of the exercise.

They called on Festus Keyamo, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development to intervene in the current situations in NiMeT before its fortunes further degenerate. (BusinessDay)

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