The new owner of the Nigerian Telecommunications Limited, NATCOM
Consortium, has laid off all the workers of the company and its
subsidiary, the Nigerian Mobile Telecommunications Limited, the PUNCH
reports.
Investigation by PUNCH correspondent showed that the workers,
numbering about 400, would leave both companies by the end of this
month.
It was also learnt that the workers had started turning in the assets
of the company in their possession in order to get their terminal
benefits, including the salary for the month of May, pension and
gratuity.
Although the letter of disengagement addressed to each of them was
dated April 30, 2015, the workers started receiving the letters on
Monday. The distribution of the letters continued on Wednesday.
Preparatory to the physical takeover of the assets of the beleaguered
telecommunications companies by the NATCOM Consortium, the workers had
earlier this week begun moving from the Benue Plaza in Abuja, which
has housed the headquarters of the organisations for some years now.
PUNCH correspondent learnt that the movable assets of the companies
would temporarily be warehoused at the NITEL Exchange in the Wuse 2
area of Abuja.
In the letter of termination of employment signed by the liquidator of
the company, Olutola Senbore, the NITEL workers were told that they
could only get their terminal benefits if they handed over all the
company assets in their possession.
Senbore wrote, "As you are aware, the liquidation of the NITEL/M-Tel
has reached the last stage of the process, i.e., the physical handover
of the asset to the buyer of the asset, the NATCOM Consortium, also
known as NATCOM Development Investment Limited.
"The formal handover ceremony took place on Tuesday, 28th of April,
2015. Physical handover will commence from this week and is expected
to last about three weeks, i.e. until 22nd of May, 2015.
"When the physical handover is completed, the services of all members
of staff will no longer be required. Consequently, your service has
been terminated effective from the close of work on 31st of May,
2015."
He added, "Arrangements are being made to pay salaries up to May 2015
and entitlements due to all members of staff-in-post as approved by
the Committee of Inspection.
"Please note that the payment of final entitlement will be subject to
the usual company's rules and regulations, which include the
submission of the company's properties, pass codes, and Intellectual
Right etc. in the possession of workers prior to the payment of the
entitlements."
NATCOM recently emerged the core investor in NITEL and was handed the
company on April 28.
The Head of Public Communications, Bureau of Public Enterprises, Mr.
Alex Okoh, told our correspondent that there was no clause in the
Share Purchase Agreement restraining the core investor from sacking
the workers for a period of time.
According to him, NATCOM emerged as a core investor in NITEL/M-Tel
through a liquidation process and not through the usual core investor
sale, adding that it was the latter that placed a restraint on the
core investor from sacking the inherited workers for a period of six
months.
Okoh, however, said that the restraint on the core investor was moral
and a wise business decision, arguing that it would not make any
business sense to sack all the workers as they still had the better
knowledge of the operations of the company.
Investigation by PUNCH correspondent showed that the decision to sack
all the workers must have been taken to avoid any responsibility by
the new owner to them.
It was also learnt that there was a disagreement between the core
investor and the legacy management of the company that led to the
sudden decision to lay off all the workers.
When PUNCH correspondent visited the headquarters of NITEL in Abuja on
Wednesday, a circular was put on the notice board asking the workers
to apply for temporary or permanent positions in a limited number of
vacancies that were declared.
Three areas where vacancies were declared were network engineering,
network operations and functional/general management. Those to occupy
the positions must have at least eight years' experience on related
jobs.
When PUNCH correspondent visited the operational head office of NATCOM
Consortium on Wednesday, the head of the office, who spoke through the
front desk officer, asked him to drop his details and expect a call.
However, the promised call had not come as of the time of filing this
report.
The National Council on Privatisation had in 2013 approved the
privatisation of NITEL and M-Tel through guided liquidation. It also
on November 11, 2013 approved the appointment of Chief Olutola Senbore
as the liquidator of the firms.
—PUNCH
