‘How Nigerian workers in Sierra Leonean mission are underpaid’

Also, there are indications from the Federal Inland Revenue and the Nigerian Pension Commission that the mission did not pay deductible tax from Nigerian staff salaries, even as its workers are not on the Nigerian pension scheme. A Nigerian employee who does not want his name in print, last week alleged these serious breach of […]

Also, there are indications from the Federal Inland Revenue and the Nigerian Pension Commission that the mission did not pay deductible tax from Nigerian staff salaries, even as its workers are not on the Nigerian pension scheme.

A Nigerian employee who does not want his name in print, last week alleged these serious breach of rules and procedures by Sierra Leone High Commission in its dealings with its Nigerian employees and supported his allegations with vital documents.

Based on the documents, for instance, in the salary scheme approved by the home government, one Mr Friday Malo, who is a utility driver with the high commission is to earn $473.20. But in the May 2011, pay schedule, the employee was paid $300. It was also revealed that in the same month, one Abalis Saleh, who is the driver of the High Commissioner was expected to earn $303.60, but was paid $276.  So is the case of one Wada Musa, a gardener, who is expected to earn $250.80 but was  paid $200.

Aside the poor pay, non-remittance of allowances, lack of severance package and high handedness allegations against the Sierra Leone High Commission, it was also gathered that despite directives from the National Pension Board that the diplomatic mission should open accounts for Nigerian employees for the remittance of their retirement benefits, the Sierra Leone mission has refused to comply with the directives.

A letter written to the High Commission dated December 7, 2009 and signed by the National Pension Commission’s Director General, M.K Ahmed titled: “Compliance with the Provisions of the Pension Reform Acts, 2004”, reads in part, “In order to confirm the level of compliance with the provisions of the PRA by your High Commission, you are requested to kindly forward to the Commission, the following: Evidence of remittance of monthly pension contribution to the RSA of Nigerian employees which should include comprehensive list of Nigerian employees in your High Commission.  Evidence of remittance of pension contributions and evidence of transfer of assets meant for any pre-2004 retirement benefits scheme for your employees to the PFAS”. It could not be confirmed if the High Commission provided the Pension agency all the needed documents, but a staff who spoke to Sunday Trust said the mission did not comply with the directive.

In another letter written by the Federal Inland Revenue Service to the Sierra Leone  High Commission dated April 26, 2011and signed by its Deputy Director, Chief Fagbemi E. O and Deputy Manager (Tax) Mrs. Omotola K. requested the mission to pay its staff taxes  to the FIRS.

“In accordance with the provision of section 81 (6) and section 82 of the above mentioned Act and in line with paragraph 10 of the minister’s regulations in respect of Nigerian employees working in your High Commission, you are to pay their PAY –AS –YOU –EARN taxes to the Federal Inland Revenue Service, Abuja. You are implored to forward  the comprehensive payroll of all Nigerian employees in your organization to the FIRS.  You are given fourteen days (14) from the service of this letter to comply.”  According to our source, the high commission is yet to comply with this directive .

When Sunday Trust reporter called the High Commissioner, Henry Olufumi Macaulay, to find out how the mission has responded to the issues, the envoy said: “I’m not in the country right now; I’m in Equatorial Guinea.  Where you at the press conference we organized recently in respect of this issue?  We have responded to these allegations, they are not true”.  But he referred this reporter to an earlier press conference which he said had tackled all the allegations above.

The envoy had, at the press conference in Abuja recently, denied the allegations, saying it was raised by a Nigerian staff of the Commission, who allegedly stole N230,000 from the coffers of the Sierra Leone  mission in Abuja.

When our reporters contacted the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs to find out if there are provisions that allow foreign missions to pay Nigerian workers less than what foreign countries approved, the ministry frowned at the development.

According to the spokesperson for the ministry, Mr Damion Agwu, foreign missions in Nigeria are bound by the Nigerian Labour law and practices as it relates to conditions of service that every Nigerian worker enjoy in the land.

He said High Commissions may enter into agreements with workers, especially when they are highly professional, on terms and conditions of service, but they must not be below what the Nigerian Labour law stipulated.

“High Commissions in Nigeria are expected to operate in accordance with the Nigerian Labour laws and in accordance to the Vienna Convention of 1961 on diplomatic and Vienna Convention of 1963 on consular relations.  The same conditions that apply to Nigerian workers apply to Nigerian employees in the High Commissions, based on the provisions of the contract which local staff enter into. If any local employees have any misgivings about their employments in foreign missions they should go to the ministry’s protocol section for intervention.”