President Muhammadu Buhari has
approved the reinstatement of Maryam Danna to the Niger Delta Power Holding
Company (NDPHC).
Her hard-won victory came after four
years of a spirited battle.
A letter to Danna by Secretary to
the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha communicated the reversal of
her disengagement.
The November 18, 2020 memo has
Reference No SGF.50/S/4/II/621.
“I write to inform you that
Muhammadu Buhari, President, Federal Republic of Nigeria has approved your
reinstatement as General Manager (Audit & Compliance), Niger Delta Power
Holding Company Limited with effect from 10th November 2020.
“Consequently, the letter of your
disengagement Rf. NoSGF.55/S.4/52 dated 10th June 2016 has been set aside.
Please accept my congratulations and best wishes on your reinstatement,” it
read.
In 2016, Danna was illegally
retired as NDPHC General Manager Audit and Compliance.
The sacked SGF, Babachir Lawal,
approved her removal without a query or cogent reason(s).
When the President’s attention
was drawn to the matter, he deployed one of the NDPHC Supervising Ministers to
discreetly investigate.
The company board consists of the
sitting Vice President (Chairman), six Governors of the six Geo-Political
Zones, and four Ministers – Finance, Power, Petroleum, Justice.
After receiving a detailed
report, Buhari, in a memo through the Attorney General and Minister of Justice,
Abubakar Malami to the late Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari,
ratified Danna’s reinstatement.
Following months of
non-compliance with the instruction, the chartered accountant petitioned the
Senate.
During her appearance before the
Committee on Public Petitions then chaired by Senator Samuel Anyanwu, she
complained that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Kyari allegedly flouted
Buhari’s order.
In May 2018, after hearing from
Danna and other invited officials, the Red Chamber of the National Assembly under
the leadership of ex-Senator Bukola Saraki directed her re-absorption.
Again, nothing happened as powers
that be opposed to the federal lawmakers’ decision.
In February 2020, the Senate, now
under the leadership of Senator Ahmed Lawan, for the second time ordered the
NDPHC to reinstate Danna.
The Committee on Public Petitions
now chaired by Senator Ayo Akinyelure, mandated the company to pay her all
outstanding salaries and other entitlements.
He said: “There was no meeting
presided over by the Chairman of the Board of NDPHC, Vice President Yemi
Osinbajo or any other member of the Board of NDPHC where the decision to
disengage her was taken. The disengagement of Maryam Danna along with the
Executive Management Team and the Executive Directors of NDPHC who were
political appointees of Mr. President was out of order.”
Akinyelure decried that her sack
was not “in accordance with the terms and conditions of employment and
disengagement of civil servants in the service of the nation and by extension,
the service of NDPHC.”
The lawmaker stated that the
complainant was not accused of any offence, queried or suspended prior to her
dismissal announced through the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA).
In March 2020, the Senate
conveyed its resolution to SGF Mustapha for implementation.
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The board of the "Niger Delta" power holding company is being administered by the six geopolitical zones. Are the other power holding companies doing same?
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