Illegal appointments of officials: OGDC management, directors to face National Assembly body's wrath today

The Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDC) and its Board of Directors will come under fire for not complying with orders of National Assembly Standing Committee on Petroleum and Natural Resources scheduled to meet on Monday to fire those officials who had been illegally appointed on key posts on lucrative packages in violation of rules and regulations, Business Recorder has learnt.
It will also be a surprise for the members of the committee that the Ministry of Petroleum has formed a committee, led by a Joint Secretary, to linger on the action against illegal appointments. The inquiry has been initiated despite the fact that OGDC management had admitted in a report that illegal appointments were made and some officials on key posts were still working in the company. NA body on petroleum has also called the Board of Directors to be present before the committee to inform it about qualifications and relevant experience.
According to a report, prepared by company, OGDC made irregular appointments, from 2006 to 2010, on 25 key posts at attractive packages in violation of rules and regulations. Out of total 25 officials, around 12 officials are still working and no directives of NA body on petroleum have been abided by current management. Sources said that commercial audit had confirmed irregular appointments in OGDC, but no action has been taken so far.
The committee on petroleum is scheduled to start three-day meeting on January 17-19. It had held meeting on July 24, 2010 during which OGDC management had accepted that many officials were appointed on key posts violating rules and regulations. The NA body had directed OGDC management to sack those officials whose appointments were irregular but they were still working on key posts.
It is also surprising that OGDC management had tabled proposals before Human Resource Committee (HRC) of OGDC Board of Directors in recent meeting to raise salary package of two officials to Rs 0.8 million per month each whose appointments were illegal. These two officials are Colonel (retd) Shafqat Hussain and Salman Amin, GM Audit.
Colonel (retd) Shafqat Hussain was appointed as GM, Communication, in September 2008. The Board of Directors in its 99th meeting held on November 27, 2008 approved that employment contract of Colonel (retd) Shafqat Hussain be terminated on advice of GHQ due to financial embezzlement charges against him but he is still in employ and potential candidate for post of Executive Director (ED) Security.
"In response to directives of NA Body, not a single official has been sacked from the OGDC," sources said, adding that the commercial audit had also termed the appointments of these officials illegal. Only one official, Sarfaraz Uddin Siddiqui, appointed as GM, Oil and Gas Training Institute (OGTI), at Rs 350,000 per month salary, had left the company after reaching the age of 60 years.
According to report, OGDC management admitted that the appointments were made without advertising the posts and that the successful candidates lacked relevant experience and qualifications. Aftab Ahmad was appointed in OGDC as Executive Director (ED), Strategy Business Planning (SBP), in 2006 without advertisement, at a financially attractive package of Rs 780,087 per month and is still holding office. Masood Nabi appointed as Executive Director, Joint Venture (JV), in 2009 at Rs 800,000 per month and another official, Asif Sindhu, appointed in 2009 as ED, Finance, at Rs 800,000 per month salary, without the post having been advertised, are still working in OGDC.
Tariq Mahmood who is a simple diploma holder, was appointed as Manager, Social Welfare Implementation in 2008, and BoD has also approved his termination. But he has still been retained in company.
Other officials whose appointments were made against rules and regulations and are still holding offices include: Qamar Zaman GM Joint Venture, Lieutenant Colonel (r) Javaid Iqbal Assistant Manager, Security, Talal Haider Chief Human Resource (HR) officer, Babar Iftikhar Deputy Chief Engineer Health Safety, Mehurinsa deputy chief corporate Law and Mobeen Aftktar deputy chief corporate legal.