Crisis In PMAN, labour minister alleged to install parallel executive

With fresh election schedule to hold in October to usher in new executives, following the expiration of the tenure of the current Interim National Executive Caretaker Committee, led by Pretty Okafor, the Association has faulted the purported inauguration of a caretaker committee to oversee the affairs of PMAN by the Labour and Employment Minister, Dr. Chris Ngige.

The General Secretary of the Association, Kenny Ama George in a statement issued on Wednesday, July 13, said: “it has come to our notice that some people in their bid to evade justice in the fraudulent acquisition and sale of PMAN land in Abuja, which is still under investigation by the Police Headquarters, appear to have found succour in the office of the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige.”

According to George, the inauguration of such a committee “can be described as abnormal and spurious as we still have pending law suits in different competent courts of jurisdiction, including those in the National Industrial Court, Federal High Court and the Federal Court of Appeal.”

He maintained that as the only legitimate and subsisting PMAN leadership, the Association will not allow the collective interest of Nigerian musicians to be undermined by people whose hands are currently soiled in fraud and corruption.

“The restraining order of the of the National Industrial Court dated June 15 in Suit No NCIN/272/2015, PMAN VS REGISTRAR OF TRADE UNIONS and 19 others. The Order has restrained the Registrar of Trade Unions, the Director of Industrial Relations and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Productivity, therefore, it is shocking that the Minister to whom all documents in respect of the matter have been forwarded and appeal made for him to distance himself has decided to join forces with the defiant.”

George in the statement said that the Association knew about the clandestine plans long before now, and had to forward the appropriate documents to the Minister and pleaded with him to distance himself from the charade being orchestrated by the aforementioned people who have always been the bane of PMAN.

“If it is true that the Minister has gone ahead to inaugurate the so-called committee, we shall not fail to invoke the appropriate sanctions against whoever is involved under the Nigerian laws except there is no law any longer in Nigeria. It is a question of time,” he declared.

He adds, “We are happy that we currently have a President in Nigeria who abhors fraud and corruption in all its ramification and he is aware of this matter and we believe that no minister under him is permitted to embrace corruption.”

When Weekend Beat put a call to the Minister, he said he has no business in the matter as the labour and employment has nothing in common with PMAN. “I’m not event aware of the matter. What business has labour and employment with PMAN. The allegation is baseless.”