I have never handed over to anybody - NECO Registrar

The Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the National Examinations Council, Prof. Promise Nwachukwu Okpala, on Tuesday rubbished calls from some quarters asking him to proceed on terminal leave.

Okpala said: “I am still at work because I still have all the instruments as the boss.”

Okpala, while briefing journalists at the Council’s Head Office in Minna, the Niger State capital, said: “I have never proceeded on any leave and I have also never handed over to anybody.

“I am still at work because all the instruments that keep me here are still intact.

“If it is otherwise, I will quietly go on that terminal leave.

“I am still at work.

“I have not gone on leave.

“I still have the instrument granting me the permission to still go to work.

“Let me go through this instrument.

“On the 26th of January this year, I got a letter asking me to proceed on retirement leave with effect from 12th January, 2015.

“I received the letter on the 26th of January, but it was dated 23rd January, 2015.

“A response to that letter came from the Ministry of Education, drawing the attention of the Ministry that I am not suppose to proceed on retirement leave and that my appointment is a tenure appointment and I am a political appointee.

“That I am not a career civil servant.”

Okpala further disclosed that a copy of that letter was given to the relevant authorities, including the Board of the organisation.

He added: “There was also another letter from the Federal Government and the board was also copied, interpreting that I am a political appointee.

“I am not a career person.

“I am on tenure appointment.

“And that I should stay until the date of my expiration as Registrar.”

Consequently, Okpala said there was another letter from the same Ministry dated January 28, signed again by the Permanent Secretary, copies of which were sent to the Minister of Education, himself, the Board and Director of Finance.

He said: “There was a meeting of Board and Management.

“In that meeting on Thursday last week, the letter that was dated 28th January was served to everybody.

“It was a full board and management meeting and the letter from the Ministry reads that I should continue with the work I am doing.

“They called my Director of Finance, gave him a copy of this same letter and each of us stood up and pledged to work harmoniously with each other.

“What seems to be happening now is that they (perpetrators) are still working on that letter of 23rd January.

“They are still parading it that I must go on leave, but I am still at work.

“Not because I want to sit down tight, but it is because the letter asking me to continue work is still here.

“The skirmishes are being created by outsiders who are not our staff.

“You can see how quiet our premises is.”

Okpala further stated that the call for him to hand over to the next most senior officer is gimmicks from some quarters who want to create trouble.

Speaking on behalf of other Directors, the most senior officer, who is the Director of Human Resources Management, John Asuwe, said: “I am the most senior officer.

“We, the management team at NECO consider it important to correct some clarifications on whether the Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of NECO is still on the seat or not.

“The real fact of the matter is that the Registrar, Prof. Promise Okpala, is still at work.

“He has never proceeded on any leave and had also never handed over to anybody.”

It should be recalled that the NECO chapter of the Non Academic Staff Union had insisted that Okpala proceeded on terminal leave in line with the status guiding the tenure and operations of NECO.