By Our Reporter
The FCT-Area Councils Service Commission is having a backlash over lack of justice and fairness in the ongoing payment of the Consultants liabilities.
It was gathered that Consultants who engaged in training Area Councils staff are being owed over #600million.
In a very proactive manner, the Minister of State resolved the four-years old crisis by her approval of 30% of the Commission’s monthly Allocation for the settlement of the liabilities until it is extinguished.
But the Commission management is sharply divided on the methods of payment.
The Commission’s Director of Administration, Sarduuna Kaya, who is holding forth as the Acting Administrative Secretary is accused for the shoddy ways and manners the contractors are selectively being paid.
The FCT Minister of State, Maryam Mahmoud, who supervises the commission, had upon several petitions by some aggrieved Consultants ordered the payment for all of them.
But in the latest letter of protest to the Minister, the Consultants are alleging that the payment is done selectively.
The Acting Administrative Secretary had told the Consultants that he was acting on the list approved by the Minister.
“But when he got wind of the petition, he now maintained that the Minister of State did not approve any list, but was just an internal arrangement by him.”
Also troubling is the issue of the engagement of an unregistered Association of Consultants of the Commission, to regulate and screen their co-consultants who the Acting Admin Sec. excluded from the payment list.
The contractors alleged that some people who are parading themselves under the aegis of ” Association of consultants of the Commission” are determining those to be paid.
“The association now regulates and screens their co-consultants and excluded those who are not on the list from the payment.”
“The illegality and absurdity of engaging an unregistered association; which now gives all excluded Consultants Terms and Conditions, of the payment of 5-10% to facilitate their payments approval in Minister’s office at Area 11 is unfortunate.
Ironically ,the original list of the Consultants which is comprehensive is with the Head of Accounts, Henry Okomah in the Commission.
The Head of Account was said to have opposed the selective and discriminative payment system run by the acting Administrative Secretary.
Okomah had recommended ‘first come first serve’ payment model for accountability, fairness and orderliness.
According to the source at the Commission, the Minister of State had approved 30% of the allocation of the Commission to settle all liabilities.
But the discriminatory agenda is jeopardizing this noble action of the Minister of State , and it calls for concern.
The excluded
Consultants are therefore calling on the attention of Minister of State to address the last part of the payment, to direct the commission to do the needful, by paying as the job was done.
They therefore suggested that the comprehensive list of liabilities has always been in Accounts department, and that it is the only official list that should be followed; on first come first serve basis.
The are therefore urging the Minister to ask the Commission to desist from patronising the unregistered Association of Consultants ,who are extorting money from consultants with the guise of facilitating their payments.