The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Sunday described as “grossly misleading” the allegations that it sacked 48 workers recruited in 2019.

It said it only quashed a “questionable and hurriedly arranged recruitment” by which the 48 persons were wrongfully issued appointment letters.

A statement by its Head, Media and Public Relations, Ezekiel Manzo, titled: ‘NEMA’s purported sack of 48 workers – setting the records straight’, described the recruitment process as being marred by irregularities.

It said a newspaper’s two publications of Wednesday, February 10, 2021, and Thursday, February 11, 2021, on the matter, misrepresented the true state of affairs.

Manzo said: “Contrary to the allegations in these publications, the Agency did not sack any staff. Rather, the management of the Agency only correctly nullified a tionable and hurriedly arranged recruitment that was marred by irregularities and lack of adherence to established procedures for recruitment into the Public Service.

“Those claimed to have been sacked were candidates of that spurious exercise.”

NEMA made the following clarifications on the matter.

It said: “Although approval was obtained from the NEMA Governing Council for recruitment in 2018, there are other complementary and critical procedures that were not followed, which effectively invalidated the exercise. These include obtaining approval from the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation with regards to established vacancies and manpower budget.

“The supervising ministry of NEMA, the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, was also completely excluded from the recruitment. The standard protocol dictates that the Ministry, which was created and assigned a supervisory role over the Agency in 2019, must be briefed and involved in such exercises.

“On the allegation that salaries of the said candidates were unpaid for one year, it must be clearly restated that NEMA does not pay salaries of Public Servants.”

It explained that the confirmation of recruitment and payment of the salaries of a Public Servant on a continuous monthly basis follows established standards.