Aggrieved staff of national carrier, Nitel, has petitioned the federal government urging the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to carry out in-depth investigation on the earnings from Sat-3.
Sat-3 is a submarine communications cable linking Portugal and Spain to South Africa, with connections to several West African countries along the route.
The workers under the National Union of Postal and Telecommunications Employees (NUPTE) and the Senior Staff Association of Communications, Transport and Corporation (SSACTAC), also reiterated its call for the appointment of an Interim Technical Board (ITB) comprising of technocrats and other relevant authorities, including appointees from labour to pilot the affairs of Nitel until a new core investor is found.
They also demanded the immediate payment of outstanding debts owed Nitel by the federal government and its agencies estimated at N6 billion and the payment of outstanding balance of five years pension buy-out to Nitel pensioners/deserving workers
The other demands include the return of the company’s core assets which include Netcom House, are among other demands contained in a petition sent to President Yar’Adua by the
In the petition made available to Nigeria Communications Week in Abuja, the workers implored Yar’Adua to prevail on Transcorp, without further delay, to pay all their outstanding salaries and allowances by July 31 if the agreement reached on April 21 by all parties concerned, is anything to go by.
Other demands made by the group include the conclusion of handover to a capable core investor with 51 per cent equity comprising of 24 per cent from government and 27 per cent Transcorp between now and December this year; invitation of the EFCC into the activities of the Bureau of Pubic Enterprises (BPE) and Pentascope management during the privatization era.
Accusation leveled against Transcorp by the group include loss of services of its technical and management partners (British Telecommunications) early in 2007 due to boardroom squabbles and later its financial backers; without these partners, the group said, a rudderless Transcorp helplessly watched Nitel services go moribund and its workers go without their remunerations as at when due.
