The Chairman, House Committee on Renewable Energy, Afam Ogene, has called on Nigerian scientists managing the nation’s nuclear research centres to avoid any act of sabotage that could jeopardise the security of the country and its citizens.
The lawmaker added that despite issues arising from non-payment of hazard and high-risk allowances, the scientists should continue to exhibit the highest standard of patriotism to their fatherland.
Ogene made the appeal on Thursday in Abuja when representatives of the Centre for Energy Research and Training, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and the Centre for Energy and Development, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife met with the Committee on Renewable Energy, at the National Assembly.
Their meeting was in continuation of the investigation into why the hazard and high-risk allowances approved for the scientists were withheld by the Budget Office, but ironically, allegedly, paid to civil servants in the employment of Nigerian Atomic Energy Commission, Abuja.
While the centre in Zaria, Kaduna state, hosts the nation’s only nuclear reactor, the Ile-Ife centre hosts nuclear Tandem Accelerator in addition to nuclear waste and other dreaded sources of radiation that must be handled with care.
He assured them that the parliament is working to ensure that the budget office of the Federation “grant the two centres of excellence financial autonomy, by providing them with separate budget lines for the effective and efficient discharge of their mandate”.
The management of the two high-risk centres had raised concerns over the impact of the non-payment of the deserved allowances to the morale of scientists at the centres, who faced daily risks in managing the nation’s nuclear facilities, through a complaint letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abass Tajudeen, in January 2024.
They also raised concerns over the danger of a possible sabotage or avoidable nuclear accident as a result of the disillusionment of staff at the two centres over poor working conditions and lack of institutional support for their programmes.
The speaker subsequently directed the Committee on Renewable Energy to look into the challenges raised by the centres.
The representatives of the centres Professors Ganiyu Balogun,
John-Felix Akinbami and Dr Bashir Umar who took turns to speak, called for urgent action to address the needs of personnel at the two centres.
Responding, Ogene said Speaker Abbas “Has directed the Budget Office of the Federation, as well as the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation to restore the allowances under review.
“He also directed that the various appeals by the Chairman/CEO, Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission, made on behalf of his staff, should be approved given the sensitive nature of the jobs they undertake.
“The Speaker also said that the National Income Salaries and Wages Commission should be queried because of its negative role in the matter.”
