One of the companies under the wings of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Gotel Communications Limited, which came under intense public criticism for choosing the day workers are celebrated worldwide to sack its workers, is saying the rationalisation of staffwas long in coming.
The rationalisation of staff at the company is a culmination of the restructuring process in the companies under the Prian Group, its General Mohammed el Yakub, has said.
He adds:”The founder of companies under the Priam (Atiku) had announced that many of his business concerns will be aggregated under the Priam Group.
“Priam Group had embarked on a restructuring exercise which led to a merger of many companies under its umbrella.
“Other components of the restructuring includes rationalisation of workforce and thus some members of staff of the group would be laid off, with their full disengagement benefits paid to them.
“The press statement of December 24, 2019, stressed that owing to the restructuring exercise and merger of companies, some personnel may have to be disengaged.
It would be recalled that Paul Ibe, Media Adviser to Atiku, had said in the statement unveiling the Group that it was not unexpected that a restructuring procedure of the size and nature of the group would come with some likely job rationalisation especially, since each of these entities has its own finance, admin, marketing, HR and ancillary support operations which would be consolidated and undertaken at the group level.
El Yakub’s statement adds, “It should, however, be noted that the current decision to right size the workforce in Gotel Communication Limited is the climax of the on-going restructuring exercise which was initiated last year.
“It will therefore out of context to ascribe any mundane presupposition for being responsible for the decision to lay off some of the workforce in Gotel Communication Limited.
“Following the unveiling of Priam Group last year, Atiku Abubakar, ceased to be involved in the running of the affairs of his companies. The decisions taken so far, and especially as it relates to the rationalisation of staff, is solely a management decision.
“It needs to be restated that we shall, as a responsible organisation, discharge every obligation to the laid off staff and any other staff that may be involved in the rationalisation exercise of any of the companies under the Priam Group.”