The Joint Union of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) has publicly disowned and condemned a recent media publication accusing the agency's sixth Governing Board and its Chairman of gross misconduct.
Union Denounces "False and Malicious" Allegations
In a strong rebuttal, the union described the reports as false, misleading, and malicious. The statement, which carried the joint signatures of Paul Onimisi, Chairman of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), and Idris Abdulmumin, Chairman of the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE), clarified that the controversial publication did not originate from the union.
"The Joint Union of FERMA categorically refutes these publications and press releases as being false. They did not originate from the Joint Union and do not, in any way, represent our position," the statement declared. It emphasized that as a democratic body, it operates with decorum and would never author such offensive content.
Allegations of Forgery and Media Failure
The union pointed an accusing finger at what it called "unscrupulous persons" who it claimed forged its identity to push personal agendas. According to the statement, the names and signatures attached to the original damaging report were scanned and fraudulently lifted by unknown individuals.
Furthermore, the union criticized the media houses involved for a failure in due diligence. It stated that the outlets did not properly verify the authenticity of the documents before publishing, thereby allowing themselves to be used by mischievous actors intent on tarnishing the union's reputation.
Call for Retraction and Reaffirmation of Support
As a consequence, the Joint Union has completely distanced itself from the publication and has formally requested its immediate retraction. It warned that the continued circulation of such falsehoods could disrupt industrial harmony within FERMA and distract from its vital national mandate of maintaining federal roads.
The union used the opportunity to reaffirm its allegiance to the sixth Governing Board, the Chairman, Management, and staff of FERMA. This support, however, is conditional on all actions remaining within the provisions of the Public Service Rules and the FERMA Act.
It urged the public and stakeholders to disregard the fraudulent publication, noting that the Joint Union has proper internal channels for raising concerns. Any official position, it cautioned, would only be communicated through authorized channels and officially signed statements.
