Duran Hotels and Uyo Force Employees to Ditch Federal Subsidy for Survival
The recipients of the federal government’s monthly “survival” grant who work at a hotel in Akwa Ibom state were forced to donate money for three months to the hotel’s management.
Ten employees at Duran Hotels, Uyo, including the hotel’s CEO, signed up for the Survival Fund in October, the government of Nigeria’s initiative to support small businesses and protect jobs during the COVID-19 outbreak.
The hotel staff received a monthly grant of 30,000 NIS under the program. E.
But as soon as the money arrived in their bank account, the hotel’s CEO, Anthony Achane, was instructed to pick it up and hand it over to the hotel’s senior official, he learned about PREMIUM TIMES.
In the hotel they are paid a lower salary.
Mr Achanya, who did not deny the story, told PREMIUM TIMES that Duran Hotels acted in accordance with an agreement they had with employees prior to their inclusion in the program.
Mr. Ahanya, who was himself a registered grant recipient, said he introduced the program to hotel workers.
He said he informed them that the grant would be split among other hotel workers who were unable to register.
“We have about 40 workers,” said Mr Achanga, who said he could only allocate 10 places for his hotel.
Before the start of the survival program, the hotel paid each of its employees N 15,000 per month.
The salary was increased to N 17,000 after the hotel began receiving a federal grant.
One of the employees, who called himself simply Ekanem, transferred only NN 29,000 to the Duran Hotel in the first month. He said the bank charges had cut the scholarship by about 1,000 naira.
In the end, the hotel stripped her of her December salary and fired her after she refused to return the scholarship for the other two months.
Ms Ekanem denied that Mr. Achanga had an understanding that the grant money should be shared with other staff. However, two other employees told PREMIUM TIMES that there was such an understanding.
Mr. Achanga said that Ms Ekanem’s salary was cut because she was unable to receive 26,000 N 26,000 from the buyer to whom she sold the goods on credit.
As PREMIUM TIMES learned, six staff members were continuously transferring 30,000 N30,000 monthly to the hotel for three months, and two hotel employees who signed up for the grant quit their jobs at the hotel prior to the start of the program.
Mr. Achanga said the former hotel manager, Lizzie John, left with a grant and other funds owned by the hotel.
Ms John denied the charges.
She said she only collected the names of workers, their bank verification number (BVN) and other information to enroll in the scholarship, and she left the hotel in October before the first scholarship money was paid in November.
“This is cheap blackmail,” said an accusation from his former boss, who said he was still owed 455,000 N in unpaid wages.
Duran Hotels is a small hotel located in the heart of Uyo, the capital of Akwa Ibom.
A similar extortion was reportedly committed by private school owners in Akwa Ibom state.
“The kindergarten teacher also described how her employer demanded 20,000 of the 30,000 paid by FG and refused to hand them over to the owner, which led to her being fired from school,” said Facebook user Eyakndu Ubong. Social networking site.
“I don’t know why some employers are so selfish,” he added.
The Survival Fund Scheme is part of Nigeria’s Economic Sustainability Plan.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo chairs the committee that developed the plan and also oversees its implementation.
According to the newspaper ThisDay, $ 27 billion has been allocated to implement the nationwide survival fund scheme.
Source: – Premium Times
