The management of Eko Distribution Company, (EKEDC), is taking strategic policy initiative to ensure there is no vacuum after the redeployment of its chief executive officer, Tinuade Sanda.
Sanda, whose redeployment was followed by the appointment of Rekhiat Momoh, as acting CEO of Eko Disco, is said to be raising concerns following what sources considered as management realignment.
The Board in a statement explained that Sanda has been redeployed to WPG Ltd, the core investor who seconded her to Eko Disco.
Momoh has been in the power sector for more than 31 meritorious years. She has risen through the ranks in the power sector from the days of NEPA, PHCN and now Eko Disco, receiving several excellence awards, commendations and medals along the way.
A consummate marketing professional by training, she holds an MBA from Lagos State University.
She’s a fellow of several professional bodies including Nigeria Institute of Management, National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria and several others. She has attended several leadership and management courses and training programmes both locally and internationally.
However, the changes reignited the crisis rocking the Company, with shareholders and management reportedly fighting for control of the firm.
The company has been at the center of allegations of fraud allegedly orchestrated by some employees, particularly, the chief legal officer (CLO), Wola Joseph -Condotti, who have been accused of aiding ghost workers in the company. Two in number, the ghost workers were said to have been on the company’s payroll for three years as conduit to siphon financial benefits due to the federal government and WPG, the majority shareholder in the DISCO.
The unfortunate discovery was made when the CLO attempted, via an Internal Memo to the CEO, to increase the salary of one of the ghost workers, the increment, being the quantum that procedurally requires the approval of the Board, aroused suspicion and questions which eventually culminated in a formal query issued against the CLO.
There was also the discovery of salary payments to two exited staff of the Legal Department. Miffed by this development, the CEO also queried the chief audit & compliance officer and the chief human resources officer for negligence given their responsibilities to audit and vet payrolls.
The CEO’s action was said to have angered certain members of the Board of Directors who consider the CLO, Wola Joseph Condotti their protege. Unfortunately for them, all attempts to sweep the matter under the carpet were met with stiff resistance from the employee Union, NUEE who insisted on justice and were baying for the application of the same conditions of service which the CLO, acting as Disciplinary Committee Chair, deployed to sack one Engr. Oyelude. The senior staff was said to have been sacked for his alleged negligence and lack of awareness that a staff under him had gone abroad AWOL and received salaries for a few months thereafter. He was said to have died a few months after the termination of his employment.
We received information that the Board of Directors of EKEDC constituted a Disciplinary Committee that was divided along two camps. Dr, Dere Otubu, Olowolafe Olatunji and Charles Momoh were disposed to ‘overlook’ the offence while Messrs. Babor Egeregor and the Ag Director General of the BPE, representing the interest of the Federal Government on the Board, insisted on justice, equality, meaning the dismissal and refund of the lost funds of the company.
However, a close source within the company denied any fraud in the company as being speculated by some reports.
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A statement by the firm titled “Eko Disco Management Cleared In ‘Ghost Worker’ Investigation,” said the investigation into the ‘ghost workers’ allegations had been concluded and findings indicated that the allegations of fraud, negligence, or conspiracy against some members of staff were unfounded.
The National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) was said to have picketed the Company’s headquarters in Marina, Lagos State over an alleged attempt to cover up corruption in the company.
The union had accused the management of the DisCo of collaborating with the board members to perpetrate corruption, which it said would eventually ruin the establishment.
But in the statement the Chairman of the company, Oritsedere Otubu, said EKEDP was aware of recent negative media reports regarding the company and some members of the staff relating to the issue of ‘ghost workers’.
The chairman said that the Board of Directors took immediate action by mandating the HR (Human Resources) Committee to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the matter.
According to the statement, an investigation was initiated in response to the allegations that the board was made aware of
