Aggrieved staff of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), have alleged that the special committee set up by NDLEA Executive Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), led by Col. Yakubu Bako (retd.), has failed in its assignment of promoting staff to their respective levels since 2011.
A letter of complaint addressed to Gen. Marwa by one of the NDLEA staff, Julius Mark, read in part: “Sequel to the directive in circular referenced: NDLEA/CCE/45/VOL.II 85, dated 17 June, 2021…I wish to submit that since I joined the Agency I have only been promoted once in the last 10 years.”
Mark said though the NDLEA Condition of Service 2019, clearly and evidently stated that Compass 03-06 were eligible for promotion within the minimum period of two years, while Compass 07-14 were eligible for promotion within the minimum of three years, yet many of them were had not been promoted.
Corroborating the complaints, a source within the Agency said the NDLEA chairman had upon resumption in office set up a committee to work within the ambit of the Agency’s Scheme of Service 2019 and Condition of Service 2019, to look into promotion of staff.
The source alleged that the committee, unfortunately, jettisoned it the directive.
“Sadly, the committee derailed from its mandate, and what it produced is nothing but a sham,” the source said.
The source stressed that they have individually written to the NDLEA intimating him of their grievances but till date nothing good has been done.
He said there were glaring inconsistencies and contradiction that betrayed the objectivity of the entire process of the committee’s work and reports to their boss.
“The invocation of Federal Character in promotion of Chief Superintendent of Narcotics (CSN) GL.13 to Assistant Commander of Narcotics (ACN) GL 14, which, hitherto, has never been the case and this favoured a particular geo-political zone.
“As a matter of facts some have been even awarded double promotion, that is from Superintendent of Narcotics (SN) GL 12 to (ACN),” they alleged.
They further said some personnel were promoted ahead of their seniors, they cited example of Narcotic Assistants (NA) GL 05 to Assistant Superintendent of Narcotics II (ASN II) GL 08, while leaving those on the rank of Senior Narcotics Agents (SNA) GL 06 without any promotion, making their juniors, now their seniors which will definitely breed indiscipline.
“There are those that have passed their conversion exams in 2010 and ought to have been on the rank of SN but left at Deputy Superintendent of Narcotics (DSN) GL 10, effectively losing a rank,” they further alleged.
The aggrieved staff said some with lower entry qualifications were given more preference over those with higher.
“For instance, there are those who have University National Diploma whose entry rank was SNA, that have been promoted to Assistant Superintendent of Narcotics II (ASN II) GL 08 and some others to Assistant Superintendent of Narcotics I (ASNI) GL 09, while those with more relevant diploma, that is Polytechnic ND were left out,” they said.
He said after acknowledging the errors in the promotion exercise, the CCEO constituted a review committee in July 2021, with a time frame of four weeks, to submit their findings and recommendation, up till now nothing has been heard about them.
