An organised group of protesters in the federal capital territory, Abuja have marched out to protest against the spate of recurrent illegal recruitment and job racketeering under the President Muhammadu Buhari regime.
President Muhammadu Buhari
The current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari under the All Progressives Congress has recorded rumoured cases of illegal recruitment exercises in the
Central Bank of Nigeria, Nigeria Prison Service, Federal Inland Revenue and a host of others without any prior probe into the anomaly.
This has prompted a chain reaction by various civil society groups that on Wednesday protested the alleged illegal recruitment and nepotism in some government agencies, questioning the anti-corruption effort of the President.
The protesters – including popular activists, Aisha Yesufu; author, Chido Onumah; and members of Citizens of Impact, Enough is Enough, Youthup Africa – marched to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, where they submitted their protest letter for onward transfer to Mr. Buhari.
“All Nigerians must be given equal opportunity in employment,” one of their placards read according to Premium Times.
In his address, Daniel Olatunde, convener of Citizens of Impact, said the Central Bank of Nigeria, Federal Inland Revenue Service and Nigeria Prisons Service, embarked on illegal recruitment exercises and that some of the recruits paid huge amounts to get the jobs.
He recalled that one of the 909 persons recruited by the CBN “through backdoor” was a nephew of Mr. Buhari.
He added that FIRS Chairman, Babatunde Fowler, “lied barefaced and was deceiving Nigerians” that the body was going to recruit 1,250 people during a session with the Senate Finance Committee at a time he had already concluded “the recruitment of children of his cronies including that of John Enoh, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance.”
To cover its illegal recruitment exercise, Mr. Olatunde alleged that NPS backdated letters of appointment to 530 people.
“No transparency as these exercises were done under the table,” Mr. Olatunde said.
“It is shocking the government has been loud in its silence. Nobody has investigated or reversed it….President Buhari came to power on thr crest of anti-corruption campaign.”