Globacom sacks 54 power engineers ‘for no reason’

Globacom Unlimited, Nigeria’s first indigenous telecommunication company, has terminated the employment of 54 power engineers across the country.

No official reason was given by the Globacom management for the sack.

Insiders said the affected personnel unexpectedly received official notification on Tuesday stating that their services were no longer needed, and instructing them to immediately submit their staff identification cards and customised SIM cards on Tuesday.

“This serves to inform you that your services are no longer required by Globacom Limited,” read the sack letter, seen by TheCable.

“Consequently, you are advised to report to the Human Resources Manager, Globacom Manpower Services Limited the outsourcing company, with immediate effect.

“You are also expected to hand over all Company property (including SIM Card, Company ID etc) issued to you during the course of your services with us…

“We wish you all the best in your future endeavours.”

One of the affected personnel, who spoke to TheCable, described the sack as a “huge shock”.

“I can’t believe it is real… being told my services are no longer required without explicit reason. I am still in shock,” he declared.

“For someone like me who has been working at Globacom for seven years and had been managing about 150 power stations for more than two years now, to be sacked in this manner is unacceptable.”

He dismissed speculations that the sack may be connected to professional misconduct, especially related to theft of equipment or over-costing of generator maintenance or fuelling fee.

“Using myself as an example, I have been in charge of over 150 sites, operating them without official vehicle or basic transport allowances and yet there has been no case of stealing or anything else under my area of operations,” he said.

Describing their ordeals as “part of the oppressive and exploitative system in Globacom”, he said “they just decided to drop us to cover up their mess.”

According to the engineer, Globacom has gained notoriety in the industry over cases of poor remuneration, slaving working conditions and arbitrary rewards and punishment systems or procedures.

“Globacom is a place where the bosses are involved in all kinds of deals to make money and sacrifice the junior staffs to cover up their tracks,” disclosed another staff who pleaded not to be named for fear of being sacked.

He added that following this sudden purge of power engineers, those spared in the affected department gad begun running double shifts to cover up for the loss of manpower.

“As a result of this sack, most of us remaining now work day and night to cover up and it has really made things very difficult,” he said.

When TheCable contacted Omotunde Adewale of Globacom’s human resources department, whose details appeared on the sack letter, she declined to talk, saying: “You think the best thing to do is to call me on phone? This is an official matter, so make it official.”

Asked what she meant by “making it official”, she replied: “Bros, I’m in church.”

The Globacom sack is the latest in a series of dismissals in the labour industry.

Last month, Skye Bank sacked 175 staff despite the federal government’s embargo on dismissal of staff in the banking sector.

In April, FBN Holdings Plc, the mother body for Nigeria’s oldest and biggest bank, First Bank, said 1,00o members of staff would lose their jobs.

Before that, Ecobank Nigeria Plc laid off about 50 of its senior staff due to “prevailing economic conditions”.

Earlier in the year, Konga sacked 80 staff while First City Monument Bank (FCMB) dismissed 150 from its workforce.