The Nigerian Senate has rejected the sack of a staff member of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, NRC.
The Senate on Tuesday directed the Corporation to reinstate a former District Engineer, Engr. Aniekan Paddy Ukpe, whose appointment was terminated in March 2023.
The Red Chamber further ordered that the former District Engineer be paid all outstanding entitlements, adding that there was no evidence linking him to the vandalization of railway tracks under his jurisdiction.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct, and Public Petitions, Senator Neda Imasuen (LP, Edo South), called the attention of the Senate to the matter.
A report made available to the Senate by the lawmaker stemmed from a petition filed by the Engineer, alleging wrongful termination of his appointment by the Corporation.
In his petition, Engr. Ukpe noted that he was the Senior Civil Engineer in charge of the North Central District, covering Kaduna, Plateau, Benue, and Nasarawa states.
He narrated how he was informed about a railway tracks vandalization which happened on September 19, 2022, at Kamuru Station in Zonkwa, Kaduna State.
Receiving the information, the Engineer said he promptly did a verbal telegram report to the District Manager and lodged a formal complaint with the police.
He said that this led to the arrest and prosecution of the culprits, two of whom were sentenced to two years in prison.
Ukpe’s petition said that instead of being commended by the District Manager, he was accused of underreporting the incident.
The District Manager issued him a query, and subsequently referred the matter to an investigative committee.
He argued that the committee’s findings were biased and marred by irregularities, leading to his dismissal without adequate opportunity to defend himself.
The NRC, represented by its Managing Director, Engr. (Dr.) F.E. Okhiria, justified the termination, citing negligence of duty.
According to the NRC, Engr. Ukpe delayed reporting the incident to his superiors and demonstrated complacency in handling the matter.
The corporation argued that his actions violated the Railway General Rules of 1964, warranting his dismissal.
