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By Madu Obi
Crisis is brewing in Anambra State Agricultural Development Programme, ASADEP, over alleged plan to extend the tenure of office of the Programme Manager, Mr Jude Nwankwo, who ought to have retired in October 2023.
Four Zonal Managers of ADP have, therefore, rejected the extension of tenure of office of the Programme Manager and have urged the state government to prevail on him to hand over to the next in command in ADP and proceed on retirement.
They warned that any attempt by the state government to allow the extension to stand, would lead to crisis and set bad precedence in ADP in the state.
In a petition to the Head of Service of Anambra State, and copied to Permanent Secretary Ministry of Agriculture and the Director, Department of Agriculture, they said: "The Programme Manager, coordinates ADP's activities in the state and must be a civil servant.
Three Programme Managers have served and left before Mr Nwankwo, the incumbent, came in and ADP did not collapse and the exit of the incumbent will not make it to collapse.
"We therefore urge Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, not to allow such extension because of the crisis it is already brewing.
Anambra State ADP, had had as it Programme Managers, Dr. C.O.B Obiechina, 1990 to 2009, Mr. Leo Imoka 2009 to 2014, Mr Clement Oguebue, 2014 to 2017 and Mr. Jude Nwankwo, 2017 till date.
“The state ADC commenced activities in 2008 under the pioneer Programme Manager Dr. C.O.B Obiechina and continued till date. Every project has profile, target beneficiaries (the farmers), time frame, cost, implementation team, and what makes ADP the darling of donor agencies and other benefactors is structure.
“Projects are not shrouded in secrecy and any project that does not involve the Zonal Managers and extension officers is not existing in the ADP. So Mr. Jude Nwankwo, the current Programme Manager who is supposed to have retired in October this year, cannot get extension after retirement."
"The extension letter he has obtained to continue his stay in office as the Programme Manager, on the pretext that he is coordinating a project, is illegal and unacceptable and that is the basis for this petition."
“We oppose such letter of extension of tenure based on the fact that as members of Programmme Management Unit, PMU, no issue concerning any project was raised and discussed in any of our meetings and no such project is existing in any of the four agricultural zones in the state."
“In the organogram of the ADP, the Programme Manager is under the PMU and all his actions, as well as that of every staff of the ADP, depend on the decision of the PMU. The Programme Manager of ADP is usually a serving civil servant. Since its inception till date, the ADP Programme Manager has never been a retiree."
“The ADP is part of the civil service of Anambra State and should be guided by the civil service rules and procedures. As at today ADP has five (5) Deputy Directors (Agriculture) some of whom are more competent and capable than the incumbent Programme Manager. It is therefore preposterous to retain Mr. Jude Nwankwo as the Programme Manager of ASADEP."
‘If Dr C.O.B Obiechina, the pioneer Programme Manager, left ADP and the system did not collapse, I make bold to say that the ADP will even be better and stronger without Mr. Jude Nwankwo."
“We pray that Mr. Jude Nwankwo should adopt the normal procedures followed by retiring officers by handing over to the most senior staff in the ADP, and any letter of extension given to him should be withdrawn.”
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