The management of the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has dismissed reports indicating any friction brewing in the agency over promotion of staff.
There was report that the newly appointed Director-General of NIMET, Professor Sani Abubakar Mashi had frowned against the planned promotion, an action that allegedly irked the workers and has given rise to hostility between the agency workers and the new Director-General.
The aviation agency in an official statement signed by Mashi described the report as false, saying, “There is no iota of truth in the said publication which is the handiwork of some mischief-makers to create unnecessary confusion in the agency”
The statement titled “Disquiet in NiMet Over Resumption Of New DG” and dated 19th January 2017, added, “In line with letter and spirit of the letter of my appointment and contrary to the insinuation in the said publication, I have since assumed duty at NiMet. Already, myself and Dr Anuforom have initiated a seamless transition/succession plan and been conducting the business of the agency”.
“In the past 10 days, I can attest to the benefits of this succession plan. Together with the out-going Director General, we have not only been going through technical and operational procedures together but have also visited some of NiMet’s critical installations where I was adequately briefed on their workings”, Mashi said.
He said within this same period, he has been working in an atmosphere of friendship and partnership devoid of any tension and therefore, completely false that there is some disquiet regarding his assumption of duties.
On the question of promotion of staff raised in the publication, Prof Mashi said, “From the briefings I received so far, I want to stress that staff have been promoted as at when due over the years. Available records indicate clearly that in 2014 for instance, a total of 205 staff were promoted, while another 332 were equally promoted in 2015. In 2016 alone, another set of 315 members of staff also gained their promotions”.
He also said that the list of eligible candidate for promotion this year (2017) has already been compiled and being processed.