The Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) has stated that the recent unfounded allegations regarding promotion denials for its staff are baseless and seek to undermine the corporation’s integrity and reputation.
Deputy Director Information/Media DICON, Major Haruna Sani, in a statement on Tuesday, said the corporation operates under the extant Public Service Regulations, with independent senior and junior staff committees overseeing disciplinary and promotion processes.
TheFact Daily reports that some media outlets had alleged that DICON leadership excluded staff members from the 2024 promotion list due to their participation in a staff protest in April 2024.
However, DICON clarified that 320 eligible staff were cleared for promotion, while 46 individuals were excluded due to disciplinary actions resulting from persistent absenteeism and violations of the DICON Act 2023.
Regarding allegations of tribalism against the Director-General, DICON emphasized the diverse representation among the DG’s staff and aides, hailing from various states across Nigeria, including Oyo, Kebbi, Kogi, and Plateau. These diversities, Sani said, demonstrates the DG’s commitment to competence, inclusivity, and fairness.
Additionally, DICON addressed concerns about enrollment in the Integrated Personnel Payroll System (IPPS), stressing that this falls under the Federal Government’s jurisdiction, not DICON’s.
“It is noted to observe that staff orchestrating this mischief also admitted to have participated in a strike action in a Corporation, further justifying as reason for their exclusion based on disciplinary grounds”, Sani said.
Regarding the claim that a fire at the factory on the eve of the 19 March 2023 protest was orchestrated to distract attention from staff grievances, Sani said it was “utterly ludicrous”, as “no sensible individual would risk compromising an establishment that employs over 800 people and is fundamental to their own professional stability and success”.
He said the current DG has ensured that allowances due to DICON staff are paid, despite the existing system’s limitations.
He added that the corporation has submitted the necessary documentation to the appropriate departments for consideration and approval regarding 2019 minimum wage arrears and 2022/2023 promotion arrears, which are the responsibility of the Federal Government.
While encouraging personnel to maintain discipline and uphold public service regulations, DICON also reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, fairness, and collaboration within the Military Industrial Complex.
“We expect all personnel to maintain discipline and uphold public service regulations,” Sani noted.
He urged the media to always verify the authentication of any information before publication in line with its journalistic professional standard procedure.
