RUMBLE IN GLOBACOM?

In a sordid twist of betrayal, ethical absence in top management and godfatherism where merit has been sacrificed on the altar of mediocrity, Nigeria’s second largest telecom operator Globacom is seemingly a potential keg of gunpowder waiting to explode, and the splinters might be hard to gather together again.

Trouble started on the 16th of May 2015 when a memo signed by Femi Kolawole,the head of human resources stated that the Globacom review Board comprising amongst others of Adewale Sangowawa,Jumoke Aduwo, Femi Kolawole and others had constituted a committee to coordinate the annual staff appraisal exercise and make appropriate recommendations for promotions, salary/prequisites increment and other incentives as considered appropriate.

A second memo dated June 19th 2015 signed by Adewale Sangowawa, then Executive Director human resources stated that increment for Nigeria staff of Globacom will take effect on July 1st 2015. These correspondences as expected boosted the morale of the Globacom work force all over Nigeria, as they saw it as an indicator that their efforts were being recognized from the imposing Mike Adenuga Towers Victoria Island Lagos and threw them into jubilation.

Tensions and expectations were high when by 30th of July 2015, nothing was heard, the rumblings heated up.

On the 31st of July, 2015, another shocker was received by the staff when an unsigned memo, without the usual Globacom letterhead was circulated instructing staff to contact a certain Jumoke Aduwo (08079659037) and Bunmi Akinyinka (08079659038) to confirm their new salaries. 

The memo went thus ‘Further to earlier circular of all staff on above subject, we are pleased to announce that the board has approved promotions, salary increment together with a generous retention scheme for staff to take effect immediately’.
What raised eyebrows were the obvious facts that no Globacom staff was issued a promotion/salary increment letter, the contact persons listed in the memo were obviously staffs of Globacom but there staff lines were not used and most obvious was the fact that the memo was not signed! And these mobile numbers were not Globacom staffs numbers, Documents at our disposal verified these claims.

This case is just the latest in a series of discontent and inequality in Globacom Nigeria, where some staff because of their closeness to the top of the food chain go home with a pay packet of 37 million Naira in addition to some other benefits while in the same company some staff have been on the same salary scale of 1.5 million Naira per annum for over 7 years.
A source revealed that most organizations in the telecoms and banking sectors in Nigeria use certain key performance indicators as a basis for staff remuneration and promotion, but alas in Globacom Nigeria ‘your rise in the organisation is based on who you know at the top, which is not healthy for the company, as a certain cabal within the company who have the ears of the chairman dispense favours to their loyalists.

The areas of staff appraisal by line managers has also generated a lot of controversy as some staff have repeatedly complained of being appraised by managers other than their line managers who do not know anything about them and their job functions, hence they fall prey in the hands of the power brokers within the organization in a constant power struggle.

Recently, a staff in the technical services circulated a memo to all staff voicing his grievances for being in the same salary scale for four years without any salary review and questioned why a company like Globacom lacks a KPI ( key performance indicator) scale, after which he tendered his resignation publicly. 

(Find attached his letter of Resignation)

Letter of Resignation Page 1

Letter of Resignation Page 2

Another source disclosed that another disturbing trend in Globacom is the influx of Indians that are gradually taking the positions of Nigerians.

According to sources, Some of these Indians, it was revealed, earn as much as over USD250, 000 (Two hundred and fifty thousand Dollars) for Skype and sleep in the office. “The Indians have subjected Globacom Nigerian employees to various work place abuse and degradation, rating them poorly, leading to termination and replacing them with their Indian friends and family members, Companies seeking to employ expatriates in Nigeria have to seek for expatriate quota permit from the Ministry of Internal Affairs or Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission. It is for two years duration. It is renewable after every two years, But in the case of Globacom, in this regard, it is obvious that the expatriates quota in Globacom has been exceeded, these India’s are just everywhere.

Findings have also shown a high staff turnover in Globacom Nigeria, which is also said to bewilder the Chairman. As most have laid the rot squarely on the doorsteps of the faceless and nameless cabal within the company.
As it stands now, only time and chance will tell who will have the courage to bell the cat in the Mike Adenuga Towers before all spirals out of control.

All  efforts to reach Mr Charles Jenarius and Mrs Gladys Talabi the executive directors of communications and Legal respectively were rebuffed as they refused to either confirm or deny the story.

Tunde Disu a labour activist writer from Sagamu.

Culled from newsreport.com.ng