How NIRSAL Contract Staff Were Allegedly Short-Changed Of Over 50% Salaries

By Abdulwaheed Olayinka Adubi, Kaduna-Nigeria

NEWSDAILYNIGERIA; Over 400 contract staff of Nigeria Incentive-based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) have alleged that the management of the organisation short-changed the payment of their salaries with over 50% while in service.

They therefore called on the Presidency to wade into the issue promptly to save their lives and that of their families.

In a document obtained by CN-TV, they alleged that they were only paid 41% of their said salaries during the period they worked as outsourced staff to NIRSAL by their previous employers and even when they were directly under company employment as contract staff.

The document further alleged that the variance representing 59% of their salaries have been suppresed over time, adding that they have been demoralised and disgruntled by the continuous injustice meted out on them despite all efforts to seek redress.

CN-TV also gathered that precisely in April 2023, the office of the Auditor-General of the federation deployed Auditors to conduct spot assessment on these salary discrepancies, and have made available recommendations in their report.

In the document they said, ” we appeal to your office ( office of the CBN Governor) as the Chairman of the Board of NIRSAL Plc to investigate this matter to establish the true position of our remuneration.”

Meanwhile, the disengaged staff querried the rational behind their
sack, just as they disclosed that the action will amount to defrauding the country while the nation continue to borrow.

“Why should the company sack over 400 contract staff who coordinated ABP loan disbursements to thousands of farmers across the country and have first hand information about the beneficiaries and their addresses?”

In the document they further asked that “how will those loans be recovered? Are they going to waste while Nigeria keeps borrowing from the World Bank?

“Why has no one addressed issues of contract staff’s salary discrepancies between 2017 and 2024 under Aliyu Abdulhameed and Abbas Masanawa era as MDs, despite all efforts made?

“Rather, the Board of NIRSAL Plc ordered the retrenchment of over 400 contract staff to save cost. Meanwhile, Ms. Daphne Dafione who doubles in as CBN consultant and Board Member of NIRSAL Plc was recently alleged to be earning N35m monthly in salary.”

Sources close to the matter revealed that whistleblowers who exposed the mismanagement of funds were subjected to maltreatment, witch-hunting, and victimization. Some were even sacked and forced to go into hiding due to threats to their personal lives.

Examples include Olalekan Olusanya, a former Head of Internal Audit, and Olusola Omole, a former Head of the Technical Coordinating Unit, Noel Dilli, a field officer and Coordinator of Nasarawa State, Kesman Samson, Murtala Mohamud who were coordinators of Adamawa and Gombe state.

When contacted, the Head of Corporate Communications, Jude Nnadozie explained that: ” the contract of the disengaged contract staff came to an end last year, and NIRSAL could not continue with their services due to lack of resources,” adding that such action was not limited to the organisation alone.

On the issue of the contract staff being short-changed, the Head of Corporate Communications declined talking on the issue.