BY AUSTIN OGWUDA

THE once imposing building housing the NITEL  office headquarters in Asaba Delta State Capital some years back has become a shadow of itself.

A visit to the office located along Dennis Osadebey Way showed that part of the roof housing the transmission equipment has been blown off while bushes have taken over the place. Except for a few staff who were found chatting at the administrative wing, the place is as good as abandoned.

It was gathered that retirees and former workers of the establishment come to hold regular meetings at the premises every Thursday and to get feedback from their union leaders on the way forward. A retired senior staff of the establishment who pleaded for anonymity said, “it is really a shame that NITEL is left this way.

Every now and then we hear the Federal Government is going to revamp it, all to no avail.“As I speak, they only paid those of us that are retired for five years and said no more pension. We are fighting that and our lawyers are preparing to go to court soon”, he stated.

Pensioners plight remain sour pont

BY TAYE OBATERU

Life is almost absent in facilities owned by the NITEL in Plateau State with equipment rotting away in offices within the state capital and in other local government areas of the state.

Apart from soldiers seen within the headquarters along Yakubu Gowon Way, there is little or nothing happening, with the premises looking deserted. The business  office section which was gutted by a bush fire some years ago remains in ruins inhabited by rodents and lizards.

Although the few members of staff still retained in the office declined to speak, Vanguard learnt that only skeletal maintenance services were being carried out at the various exchanges and repeater stations.

The source said only about 10 members of staff including the territorial manager remain in the PlateauTerritory to carry out the skeletal services.

It was noticed that all the vehicles within the headquarters in Jos except one were grounded.

A retired staff of NITEL who lamented the state of dilapidation of the organization’s facilities told Vanguard that the plight of pensioners and disengaged staff whom he said were not pad their dues remain a sore point for the company.

He said former members of staff were still in court to seek the enforcement of their rights to their full due as contained in their conditions of service when they were engaged.