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Nigerian Embassy in Washington explains sack of workers

Published

7 years ago

April 5, 2018

The recent sack of some staff of the Nigerian Embassy in Washington, DC, caused an uproar in the country with a lot of people requesting for an inquest into the disengagement of the workers. But the Embassy has mentioned that the disengagement of some workers followed due process.

Senior officials at the embassy told newsmen that the benefits of the 15 local workers, who were recently laid off, would be paid soon.

They said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja, approved the disengagement of the workers due to some ongoing rationalisation of workers at the embassy.

The officials, however, said the ministry had also approved the payment of gratuities to the workers, some of whom had worked with the embassy for more than 30 years.

Nigerian Embassy in Washington explains sack of workers lailasnews

Some of the affected workers had alleged that the decision to lay them off was arbitrary.

They also alleged that the embassy had no plans to pay their gratuity and other severance benefits.

Further, the local staff, who were mostly Nigerians, had accused the Mission of retaining the non-Nigerian employees at the expense of those who are of Nigerian nationality.

However, the embassy officials denied that there was no prior notice to the disengaged workers, saying they actually agreed to the arrangement since February 2017.