Tension is mounting among staff of the Adamawa press Limited, Publishers of the Scope Newspapers over what is described as breaches of administrative procedures during retirement of senior administrative officers to satisfy and perpetuate the over riding Interests of selfish individuals in government.
The workers of the Organisation particularly members of the Nigeria Union of journalists (NUJ) are bracing up for a showdown if the already retired General Manager is eventually reengaged to serve in the same capacity at the expense of other competent staff who are already waiting down the ladder.
Investigations revealed that the staff are becoming increasingly worried that it is almost becoming a culture or tradition to extend the services of retiring personnel under the pretext that there are no qualified subordinate staff in the Media company.
Our correspondent revealed that not long ago, a retained Editor who served the company for two additional two years after his official retirement, left the services of the Media industry under the pretext that there was no competent successor while the same scenario is playing out this time again under the same commissioner in charge of the parent ministry.
Our correspondent gathered that the embattled General Manager has since officially retired from service on April 14, 2023 but has refused to handover to the next senior officer on the orders of the supervising Ministry to perpetuate certain interests against public interest.
The Adamawa Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) currently being managed and administered by the permanent secretary of the parent information ministry is a development precipitated by similar inherent interests.
Subtle observers have attributed the intensity of the strange policy in Adamawa press Limited to the existence of a common interest between the General Manager, the Chairman Board of Directors of the company and the supervising Commissioner who are all from the same ethnic stock.
The chairman of the local chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Nyahama Japheth told our correspondent that such development is unhealthy for growth and productivity of the company, saying that the Union is poised to resist such an unhealthy practice in the civil service.
He said that in the present circumstances, if our prudent governor had agreed to the antics of the Media Managers to retain the services of the former General Manager, he is only doing so because he has been misled to accept the lie that there is no competent officer to take over.
He therefore called for the immediate intervention of the unsuspecting governor by constituting an administrative panel to investigate the prevailing unhealthy developments and deplorable state of the media industry in the state for the purpose of enhancing professionalism and productivity.
According to him, the leadership of the Union had already consulted with the Permanent secretary of the parent ministry who had promised to handle the matter amicably to avoid any industrial disharmony.
The retired General Manager, Danjuma Buba told our Correspondent that there was no conflict on ground, emphasizing that the government had already approved the extension of his services for the period of additional one year.
When our correspondent visited the parent ministry for the version of the commissioner, he was confronted with the reality of his absence, as he was said to have traveled out of town on official engagement.
The Pioneer reports that the continued politicization of the Media Houses by media handlers in the state has not only jeopardized professionalism but slowed down progress and staff productivity.
PIONEER NEWS 