Alleged YEDC’s staff victimisation: Fresh facts emerge as coy board summons mgmt

From Umar Dankano,Yola.

Fresh facts have emerged over allegations of maladministration,victimization, and corruption against the Abubakar Yahaya’s led Management team of the Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC), following a summon for scrutiny from the board members Committee of the company Headquarters in Abuja.
Findings by Peoples Daily Weekend have revealed that, the entire management team have been in Abuja since Monday, 18th September and had series of meetings with the board members believe to be squarely on the messing situation threatening the corporate existence of the organization as a result of alleged self-serving and unfriendly policies by the management of the firm.
Reports also had it that, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) had written severally, intimating the board Committee of YEDC to forward new names for appointments as substantive Managing Director/CEO and Chief Finance Officer (CFO) of the company since the resignation of former Managing Director,Dr.Umar Abubakar Hashidu as required by the law.
It was gathered that the NERC was reliably gathered to have authoritatively issued request for nominees of the two offices for the Managing Director and chief finance officer some weeks back which dateline expired last two days ago being Wednesday, 20th September.2023 accordingly.
Also, a reliable source, who pleaded anonymity explained that failure of the YEDC’s board to forward these nominees would provide the ground for NERC to suspend the operational license of the company, in compliance with the electricity regulations ( Act).
Furthermore, the source stated that, as it is now, the MD and CFO (Abubakar Yahaya & Umar Aliyu Gulmare) have not passed the mandatory ‘fit and proper’ interview otherwise known as K.Y.L(Know your license) examination. A promotional test for managerial position usually organise by NERC.
According to the source,the embattled management team has allegedly been in the habit of cornering contracts to their advantages (favour) citing the over N1billion Jambutu injection sub-station rehabilitation contract in the Adamawa state capital.
Other accusations dwells on fraudulent and questionable procurement processes,alleged employment racketeering without recourse to due process as some were done secretly without publicity through advertisements, alledge illegal Moving of Electric poles manufacturing company from Yola to Patiskum in Yobe state with out applying due process as well as allegation of threats to staff with termination of appointment among others.
Some of the employees had raised reservations for the engagement and collaboration with the Republic of Niger Electricity company (NIGELEC) with over 20 technical experts presently Manning the technical department of YEDC expressing concern on the national security breach of the country.
They alleged that the hired foreign technical partners (NIGELEC staff) are given opportunity to be expose to our national intelligence informations by using softwares such as ‘Manifold’ and ‘Kobo collect’ to collect GPS codinates of all Nigerian Houses, Military formations, DSS, police & other government’s offices etc, under the pretence of PPM installations.
Recalled that this paper reported last weekend that twelve (12) key officers considered to be best hands of company (YEDC) resigned out of protest including ; Head of regulatory and compliance,Head of Administration,Head of billing department,Head of Revenue Collection,Head of AMI, and Chief Commercial officer of the firm.
Others are; Principal Manager, Corporate Communications, Regional Manager in charge of Borno, Business Managers of Jimeta and Yelwa business units,MYTO, Technical expert as well as former MD,Hashidu.
Effort to speak to Head, Corporate Communications of the company, Olubenga Adebola wasn’t fruitful as he didn’t answered calls put to him and didn’t reply the SMS message sent to his mobile phone up to the time of filling in this report.