The Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NÀFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye has denounced claims of the striking workers, saying staff promotion is not within the agency’s power.
Reacting to the ongoing indefinite strike embarked on by the Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government-Owned Companies, an affiliate of the Trade Union Congress representing employees of NAFDAC, Adeyeye stated that the reasons advanced by the striking workers against the agency are not true, adding that, whether it is a matter of promotion or estacode, the agency has been following the rules and is committed to promoting the workers’ welfare.
Recall that the staff of the agency embarked on an indefinite strike on 7 October, 2024, after the expiration of a 14-Day Ultimatum issued to the management. Top among their demands are promotion of staff who passed the 2024 examination and payment of outstanding claims dating back to 2014, approvals for allowances, review of job-specific allowances, among others.
As the indefinite enters its second week, and NAFDAC boss absolving the agency of its response to the striking staff claims, concerned persons have warned of the ripple effects of the strike on public health. They asserted that absence of NAFDAC staff at the sea ports could lead to congestion as well as compromised public health.
Some of workers, who preferred anonymity explained that the indefinite strike was triggered by management’s refusal to address pressing welfare issues, which allegedly has been met with indifference from the Director General, who has travelled out of the country for the second time since the strike began.
Meanwhile, Adeyeye, through the Resident Media Consultant Sayo Akintola, said NAFDAC is not in charge of staff promotion, that the office of the Head of Service Federation has the sole responsibility of allocating vacant positions to qualified persons.
She said: “We are not in charge of the number of people to promote, we are only responsible for conducting exams. The office of the Head of Service of the Federation (HOS) is always responsible for allocating available vacancies that the government can pay for.
“It is not that there is vacancy and we are not promoting. It is what the government can pay for that they approve as vacancy every year. It is not different from any other agency.”
On the issue of estacode, as raised by the striking workers, Prof. Adeyeye said there is nothing wrong with the agency’s estacode policy.
“That is just playing to the gallery. Our staff have always been paid their due estacode and so, that is not an issue.”
“We are not different from any other agency, the estacode will be paid when the evidence of the trip is presented. We have never owed any staff any travel allowance,” the DG added.
, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye has denounced c){kind=link}