By Henry Umoru
THE Senate,Wednesday called on the Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) to give a soft landing to about 31 casual staff that were disengaged from the organization.

It was gathered that about 34 casual staff who served in PPPRA, engaged in 2012 on a contract of six months, subject to renewal were said to have been verbally disengaged in 2017.

Speaking during an investigative hearing following a petition from a human right lawyer, Barr Uche Ayogwu, on behalf of the 34 disengaged PPRA workers, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petition, Senator Ayo Akinyelure, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Ondo Central said that PPPRA must find a way of absorbing the sacked casual staff who might be struggling to feed.

Senator Akinyelure who expressed concern on the disengagement of the casual staff called for consideration of their plights, however urged PPPRA to give consideration to the outstanding 31 casual staff that were disengaged from the organisation.

He said, “It was gathered that about 34 casual staff who served in PPPRA, engaged in in 2012 on a contract of six months, subject to renewal were said to have been verbally disengaged in 2017.

The Senator said that PPRA must find a way of absorbing the sacked casual staff who might be struggling to feed, just as he said that the investigative hearing was designed to give both parties the opportunity to fair hearing on the issues at stake.

Meanwhile, at the hearing, the PPPRA disclosed that it offered equal opportunity to ex- temporary staff when the Agency engaged new staff in 2018.

Speaking when he appeared before the Senate Committee, PPRA, General Manager, Administration, Mr Victor Shidok who explained that the ex-workers who met the guidelines were indeed recruited, however stressed that the allegations by the disengaged staff that they were denied opportunity to get employment was untrue.

Also reacting to the allegation,the Head of Human Resources, PPPRA, Yusuf Muazu, in his submition said: “When PPRA wanted to employ new staff in the organisation, the Board set up a criteria which only three out of the 34 of the casual staff met.”

Muazu explained that the three staff, comprised of one male and two female who qualified based on their qualifications and age, adding, “The casual staff were employed in 2011 but as at 2006, we had no provision for the employment of temporary staff. While we have condition of service, the casual staff were allow to work for six months, subject to renewal.

“When we have an industry criteria and criteria setup by the board and, we requested for qualification of the casual staff and got one person with Masters Degree, he was recruited.
“Two ladies from the casual staff were also recruited based on their qualification and age.hi

“The remaining ones were not qualified, out of the 34 casual staff, three were engaged and those who were out of the age bracket were not contacted.”

Ealier ,the petitioner, Mr Uche Ayogwu who told the Committee that the 34 casual staff were engaged for six months subject to renewal, but added that after working for about seven years, they were eventually disengaged verbally, said, “they were engaged from 2012- 2017 on a six months temporary engagement.

“They appealed to the management to reabsorbed them, but the management sidelined them to recruit about 134 workers. One of the disengaged persons went to court ,while one person is dead.

“None of them was found wanting in the course of their job. These people ought to be in the first priority list if there should be recruitment.

“They were engaged from 2012- 2017 on a six months temporary engagement. They appealed to the management to reabsorbed them, but the management sidelined them to recruit about 134 workers. One of the disengaged persons went to court. That was only one out of 34. One person is death.

“Non of them was found wanting in the course of their job. This people ought to be in the first priority list if there should be recruitment.”

Vanguard