Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission
(ICPC) and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to: “jointly
carry out a prompt, thorough, transparent and effective investigation
into allegations that principal officers and members of the Nigerian
Senate are using their official positions to get job slots from
government agencies.”
SERAP also urged the anti-corruption agencies to: “probe allegations
that some ministries, departments and agencies are selling the
employment slots at their disposal, with a single slot being allegedly
sold for as much as N1.5 million. We urge you to prosecute anyone
suspected to be involved should you consider there is relevant and
sufficient admissible evidence, and to make public the outcome of any
investigation.”
In the petition dated 18 October 2019 and signed by SERAP deputy
director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organization said: “This alleged
preferential treatment in Nigerians’ access to government jobs is a
textbook case of cronyism, patronage and corruption. The public
interests are best served when public employees are recruited on the
basis of their skills, competence and expertise rather than as a reward
for political, social and other similar connections.”
In the letter sent to ICPC chairman Bolaji Owasanoye and EFCC Acting
Chairman Ibrahim Magu, SERAP said: “Unless the allegations are urgently
investigated and suspected perpetrators brought to justice, the
effective and efficient performance from the public workforce,
competence in government services and functioning of ministries,
department and agencies will continue to be negatively impacted.”
The organization also said: “These allegations show the face of public
recruitment in Nigeria in recent decades, which has typically been that
of political influence, cronyism, patronage and corruption. The
allegations amount to a fundamental breach of Nigerian Constitution 1999
(as amended), the country’s anti-corruption legislation and
international obligations, particularly article 7 of the UN Convention
against Corruption to which Nigeria is a state party.”
The letter copied to the chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee
Against Corruption, Itse Sagay, read in part: “SERAP urges you to invite
the principal officers and members of the Senate and government agencies
allegedly involved for interrogation and questioning, and to prosecute
them if your investigation indicates relevant and sufficient admissible
evidence. This would show your agencies’ willingness to proactively
exert your mandates and act as a deterrent against breaches of Nigeria’s
constitution, anti-corruption legislation and international standards.”
“Allegations of people being recruited for jobs into government agencies
regardless of qualifications or competence, because of political
affiliations or connections have damaging effects on the independence,
effectiveness and efficiency of these important public institutions.
This in turn undermines citizens’ access to public goods and services
like quality education, healthcare, and clean water.”
“SERAP urges the ICPC and EFCC to jointly act to ensure that government
agencies comply with legal requirements in public recruitment processes
including transparency and objective criteria such as merit, equity and
aptitude, if the public interests and integrity of the agencies are to
be secured, and if Nigerians are to enjoy better and efficient
performance from these agencies, and improved access to public goods and
services.”
“Article 7 of the UN Convention against Corruption requires the Nigerian
authorities including the Senate to adopt and comply with systems of
hiring into public ministries, departments and agencies that ensure
openness, equity and efficiency.”
“Any such systems must be based on principles of efficiency,
transparency and objective criteria such as merit, equity and aptitude.
Any recruitment process must also prevent conflicts of interest. The
Senate would seem to have violated the conflicts of interest principle,
as it exercises oversight functions over these government agencies.”
“SERAP notes Section 15(5) of the Constitution of Nigeria 1999 (as
amended) to the effect that ‘The State shall abolish all corrupt
practices and abuse of power.’ Similarly, the UN Convention against
Corruption requires the authorities to ensure effective, proportionate
and dissuasive sanctions and penalties for corruption.”
“According to our information, some principal officers and members of
the Senate are allegedly using their official positions to get job slots
from government agencies, and that some government agencies are selling
the employment slots at their disposal, with a single slot being sold
for as much as N1.5 million.”
“The agencies allegedly involved include: the Federal Inland Revenue
Service, National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency, National Space Research
and Development Agency, the National Open University and the Federal
Civil Service Commission.”
“The leadership of the Senate allegedly received 100 employment slots
from FIRS to share among themselves. The Senate President Ahmad Lawan
(Yobe North) allegedly secured 26 job slots from the FIRS.”
“Senate Committee on Federal Character, Danjuma La’ah, reportedly
stated: ‘We are aware that some of the agencies are selling the
employment slots at their disposal. They are commercialising employment,
selling a single slot for as much as N1.5m, when we have children who
have graduated from tertiary institutions who could not get any job for
many years. Some people are just taking Nigerians for granted. Our
children are suffering, running from one end to another, looking for
jobs.'”