‘Harsh, Temperamental, Uses Foul Language, Assault, Harassment & Inflicts High Level Of Humiliation On Workers’ -NTDC Staffers Reveal Damning Insider Details Why They Wanted DG, Sally Mbanefo Ousted In 12 Page Petition

Workers at the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation, NTDC want the Director General in charge of Affairs at the place ousted.

And to achieve their aim, they have written a 12 page petition under the umbrella of the NTDC branch of labour union they belonged to – the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE).

The explosive put together with confounding charges against Mbanefo is addressed to Minister for Tourism and Culture, Chief Edem Duke.

The Petition titled ‘ Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) On The Verge Of Extinction: A Call For The Redemption Of The Image Of This Apex Tourism Implementation Agency’ and Signed by officers of the association such as Comrades Unwuchola S Okpomo, Ikechi

Nwoko, Dankano K Chise, Habib B Idris, Esther D Omunu, Topzoo D Friday, Abdullahi Yau and Onyeke Vincent Isaac reads in parts

‘On assumption of office in May 2013, Mrs Mbanefo paraded an unknown person to the staff that he (the person) was an attaché from the Inspector General Police. This unknown man besides taking over the D.G’s office and duties became a threat to the staff and running of the entire office. Despite severally warnings from the staff, the D.G failed to see this as an

abnormality until this same was discovered to be an impostor, an unfortunate fake EFCC police commissioner and was picked up by the EFCC. The office was almost thrown into a scandal and staff are still awaiting the outcome of that investigation inview of the hardship the fake DR\ Police Commissioner inflicted on the system.

‘……The administration of Mrs Mbanefo is almost running into two years, up till now the staff are yet to know the Director General’s vision. Most of the international fairs which are avenue for image making, promotion and marketing of tourism products of the country are either cancelled or attended alone by her. As a new person in the industry, the D.G needs the wealthy of knowledge of existing staff to carry through, no wonder she makes a lot of mistakes. Consequent upon this, the Domestic Tourism being emphasised by her has no clearly defined agenda as the staff are not carried along

‘ Harsh, Temperamental, Insults and Lack of trust for staff. The new management has heated up the system by the use of unconventional leadership principles: Use of foul language and harassment, assault and high level of humiliation. There is also the use of coercion where staff are being compelled to work against the established rules and guiding principles. There is also lost of trust in existing staff in manner that every action by any staff is suspicious. Management appear not to believe in any staff at all, especially the existing crop of talented officers. This explains why Directors are made to report to a consultant or take instructions from a consultant. What an unfortunate situation! This has made staff not to put in their best and is engendering animosity, bitterness and unrest in the system. This is capable of disconnecting the organisation from where it is coming from.

‘The D.G’s official communication is through text messages which most times makes it difficult for accountability or referrals. It is also difficult to account for certain decisions made when the need arises because the mode of communication is not practise in the system. The service works with written records for posterity and easy reference. In view of the fact that text messages have replaced the official means of communication files keep piling up at the D.G’s office without being treated. This should be discontinued with forthwith.

‘…..Embarrassment/ Scandalous act Exhibited by Director General in Brazil. NTDC is the Apex Tourism Regulatory and Policy Implementing as well as an Image Making organisation charged with responsibility of promoting as well as marketing Nigeria to the whole world.

Therefore, for the Director General of this internationally recognised organisation to go abroad and fight with her own contractor to the extent of tearing and chewing agreement is a national embarrassment and disgrace to the office of the Director General and the entire staff.

‘Employment without regard to Federal Character. The Director General has employed over 50 staff without due consideration for Federal Character, some of who are incompetent and placing them wrongly high and above existing regular staff thereby inflating vacancy provision for promotion, and also causing rancour and disharmony among staff. There should be a probe into the employment process to ensure these anomalies are corrected by placing everyone one where he properly belongs.

‘……It is amazing that the D.G will be singing No Money but the Federal Government still releases overhead and capital funds as budgeted for even till last month, September 2014. Why then the cry No Money? What has the money released so far been used for? What are the capital projects embarked upon by the corporation for all the released capital funds so far?. Very worrisome is the area of fund raising is the situation where staff are coerced into begging and the risk of prostitution in the name of revenue generation. This is against the laid down procedures in government service……Reliably the organisations such as Heritage Bank, Keystone Bank, First Bank, Zenith Bank, Aso Savings, Standard Chartered Bank, PTDF,UPDC, and state governments like Ondo, Abia and Ekiti to mention a few gave fabulous amount of money to NTDC for the development of Tourism but to our dismay these monies where not accounted for. Did this administration of Mbanefo mean well for the growth and development of the Tourism sector at all? The union is not pleased with this development. A situation where he D.G and her cohorts use the name of the corporation to source for money and such money not used for the purpose it was meant is worrisome and unacceptable. This should be probed.

‘…….instances abound where the D.G claimed to have spent N80M for the development of a cave in Anambra state whereas no single trip of sand was dropped on that soil till date. Again the D.G claimed to have spent N35m on the training of staff, what a blatant lie. Since the inception of the Mbanefo administration, not more than 12 staff has been trained at the cost of not more than five million naira. Why this inflated amount? Who were the staff that were trained or affected to that claimed amount?. She should be probed and made to go in order not to kill the industry……within this period of crying No Money the D.G has carelessly spent over N200m without recourse to due process and execution of corporations mandate making all departments not to function accordingly.

‘ …..recently the D.G informed her management staff that she is now the Coordinator of Strategy and Campaign for President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan hence she will not be regular in the office. This is not only strange but unfortunate. As a matter of fact, it confirms all the allegations that this D.G has no vision for the Tourism Industry. The past one year has noticed very haphazard decisions yet without stabilising she wants to go for politics….’

The petition dated October 22 2014 with the ref numbers ntdc/s. 124/vol.1/74 and sourced by societynowng.com from newsofthepeople concluded with a call by the entire staff for the removal of Sally Manefo and – appointment of a seasoned civil / public servant ‘ who will achieve result and redeem the image of the industry’