The Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has mandated the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) to reverse the alleged wrongful termination of the appointment of a female chartered accountant and widow from Borno State, Mrs. Maryam Danna.

This is coming 22 months after the last Senate had in their resolution of May 3, 2018 ordered her immediate reinstatement to her position as General Manager (Audit & Compliance) of NDPHC.

PRNigeria also gathered that President Muhammadu Buhari had also directed that the woman who was sacked in June 2016 be reinstated. On October 25, 2016, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), wrote the Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, intimating him that the President had during a meeting with him ordered the reinstatement of Mrs Mohammed back to her job. But the widow was not reinstated.

In the latest development, the Upper Chamber also resolved to immediately communicate its resolution to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, and urged him to direct the Managing Director of the NDPHC for compliance and implementation of the resolution.

The Upper Chamber, which adopted the report its Committee on Ethics, Priviledges and Public Petitions, in Abuja, also directed the NDPHC to pay all her salaries and other entitlements.

Chairman of the Committee, Senator Ayo Akinyelure, in his report on the petition against the NDPHC by Mrs. Mohammed, said the panel after a painstaking investigation found that Mrs. Mohammed was truly a staff of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).

Akinyelure said that the staff was offered an exclusive secondment to the NDPHC to head the Audit Department as General Manager with effect from 1st July, 2011 and remained a civil servant and not a political appointee.

He said: “Prior to her disengagement, there was no meeting presided over by the Chairman of the Board of NDPHC, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo or any other member of the Board of NDPHC where the decision to disengage her was taken.

“The disengagement of Maryam Danna Mohammed along with the Executive Management team and the Executive Directors of NDPHC who were political appointees of Mr. President was out of order.”

He added that the Committee observed that due process was not followed in the disengagement of Mrs Mohammed, “in accordance with the terms and conditions of employment and disengagement of civil servants in the service of the nation and by extension, the service of NDPHC.”

He also noted that the officer was not accused of any offence, queried or suspended prior to her disengagement which was by announcement through the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA).

The Committee averred that that from the submissions of the incumbent Managing Director of the NDPHC, that non-communication of the resolution of the 8tln Senate to the management of the Company, has been the reason for non-reinstatement of the petitioner up till now.

The petitioner, Mrs. Mohammed, in her petition, stated that her disengagement was discriminatory, unfair and that it did not follow laid down procedure.

She also explained that she was offered exclusive secondment from the PHCN to the NDPHC in 2011 hence she transferred her services to the agency and was promoted as General Manager the same year.

She further explained that throughout her 24 years in service, she had never been found wanting in the discharge her duties neither was she involved in any form of misconduct.

The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the NDPHC, Mr. Chinedu Ugbo in his submission to the Committee noted that Mrs. Mohammed was a staff PHCN but was offered an exclusive secondment to the NDPHC to head the audit department as General Manager effective from 1st July, 2011.

Ugbo said: “She was the general manager audit and compliance until her disengagement by the Federal Government.

“Her disengagement from the service of NDPHC was on the approval of the President Federal Republic of Nigeria Muhammadu Buhari.”

Mrs. Maryam Danna Mohammed, a chartered accountant had exposed anomalies in the credential of some top-management staffs of the agency who were later sacked. She was sacked after one of the management staff with questionable credential became a Permanent Secretary with a strong connection to the Aso Villa.