The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has called on the National Assembly to thoroughly investigate the recent sacking of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) staff, saying it was unjustified and unethical.
National chairman of SDP, Shehu Gabam, in a statement, also urged the CBN governor to stop further sack of the bank staff, noting that he shouldn’t have embarked on this exercise in light of the alarming unemployment levels in Nigeria.
Gabam said, “We are deeply concerned about the troubling developments at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Once again, CBN finds itself at the center of controversy. Innocent employees are being dismissed without due process. Reports indicate that nearly 700 people have been sacked by the CBN without committing any offence, by passing the Human Resources and Compliance Processes (HRCP) that regulate employment and disciplinary actions. These employees are not given a fair hearing; instead, they are abruptly dismissed.
Urging the National Assembly, the CBN governor, and the president to recognise the alarming unemployment levels in Nigeria he said the CBN should not be in the public eye for negative reasons, “nor should it victimise innocent staff who had no role in the redesign of the Naira. These employees are not decision-makers but ordinary staff members.”
The SDP chairman said if reorganisation or restructuring is necessary, it must be conducted in line with the policies and principles that established the CBN, particularly those concerning employment, regulations, and disciplinary measures.
“I call on the CBN governor to halt this practice immediately, and I urge the National Assembly and the president to investigate this issue thoroughly.
“You cannot dismiss young employees who are breadwinners for their families simply due to a reorganisation. Dismissals based on unverified recommendations are unjust. It is crucial to establish clear evidence of any offence before taking such drastic actions.
“We are unhappy with this development. At a time when we should be focused on reducing unemployment, the CBN and other institutions are exacerbating the problem by sacking employees. This is not good news for the country or for a government celebrating one year in office. It reflects poorly on the administration’s priorities.
“Therefore, I must emphasise that these actions are unjustified and unethical. The CBN should not be sacking innocent staff members who are not responsible for any wrongdoing. These employees should be allowed to do their jobs and should be provided with proper training to become professionals in policy management and regulation, rather than being unfairly dismissed,” he said.