{"id":69969,"date":"2019-10-20T15:22:05","date_gmt":"2019-10-20T14:22:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/?p=69969"},"modified":"2019-10-20T15:22:05","modified_gmt":"2019-10-20T14:22:05","slug":"serap-asks-icpc-efcc-to-probe-senate-mdas-over-employment-slots-scandal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/exclusive\/serap-asks-icpc-efcc-to-probe-senate-mdas-over-employment-slots-scandal\/","title":{"rendered":"SERAP asks ICPC, EFCC to probe Senate, MDAs over ’employment slots scandal’"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, (SERAP) has asked the
\nIndependent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission
\n(ICPC) and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to: “jointly
\ncarry out a prompt, thorough, transparent and effective investigation
\ninto allegations that principal officers and members of the Nigerian
\nSenate are using their official positions to get job slots from
\ngovernment agencies.”<\/p>\n

SERAP also urged the anti-corruption agencies to: “probe allegations
\nthat some ministries, departments and agencies are selling the
\nemployment slots at their disposal, with a single slot being allegedly
\nsold for as much as N1.5 million. We urge you to prosecute anyone
\nsuspected to be involved should you consider there is relevant and
\nsufficient admissible evidence, and to make public the outcome of any
\ninvestigation.”<\/p>\n

In the petition dated 18 October 2019 and signed by SERAP deputy
\ndirector Kolawole Oluwadare, the organization said: “This alleged
\npreferential treatment in Nigerians’ access to government jobs is a
\ntextbook case of cronyism, patronage and corruption. The public
\ninterests are best served when public employees are recruited on the
\nbasis of their skills, competence and expertise rather than as a reward
\nfor political, social and other similar connections.”<\/p>\n

In the letter sent to ICPC chairman Bolaji Owasanoye and EFCC Acting
\nChairman Ibrahim Magu, SERAP said: “Unless the allegations are urgently
\ninvestigated and suspected perpetrators brought to justice, the
\neffective and efficient performance from the public workforce,
\ncompetence in government services and functioning of ministries,
\ndepartment and agencies will continue to be negatively impacted.”<\/p>\n

The organization also said: “These allegations show the face of public
\nrecruitment in Nigeria in recent decades, which has typically been that
\nof political influence, cronyism, patronage and corruption. The
\nallegations amount to a fundamental breach of Nigerian Constitution 1999
\n(as amended), the country’s anti-corruption legislation and
\ninternational obligations, particularly article 7 of the UN Convention
\nagainst Corruption to which Nigeria is a state party.”<\/p>\n

The letter copied to the chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee
\nAgainst Corruption, Itse Sagay, read in part: “SERAP urges you to invite
\nthe principal officers and members of the Senate and government agencies
\nallegedly involved for interrogation and questioning, and to prosecute
\nthem if your investigation indicates relevant and sufficient admissible
\nevidence. This would show your agencies’ willingness to proactively
\nexert your mandates and act as a deterrent against breaches of Nigeria’s
\nconstitution, anti-corruption legislation and international standards.”<\/p>\n

“Allegations of people being recruited for jobs into government agencies
\nregardless of qualifications or competence, because of political
\naffiliations or connections have damaging effects on the independence,
\neffectiveness and efficiency of these important public institutions.
\nThis in turn undermines citizens’ access to public goods and services
\nlike quality education, healthcare, and clean water.”<\/p>\n

“SERAP urges the ICPC and EFCC to jointly act to ensure that government
\nagencies comply with legal requirements in public recruitment processes
\nincluding transparency and objective criteria such as merit, equity and
\naptitude, if the public interests and integrity of the agencies are to
\nbe secured, and if Nigerians are to enjoy better and efficient
\nperformance from these agencies, and improved access to public goods and
\nservices.”<\/p>\n

“Article 7 of the UN Convention against Corruption requires the Nigerian
\nauthorities including the Senate to adopt and comply with systems of
\nhiring into public ministries, departments and agencies that ensure
\nopenness, equity and efficiency.”<\/p>\n

“Any such systems must be based on principles of efficiency,
\ntransparency and objective criteria such as merit, equity and aptitude.
\nAny recruitment process must also prevent conflicts of interest. The
\nSenate would seem to have violated the conflicts of interest principle,
\nas it exercises oversight functions over these government agencies.”<\/p>\n

“SERAP notes Section 15(5) of the Constitution of Nigeria 1999 (as
\namended) to the effect that ‘The State shall abolish all corrupt
\npractices and abuse of power.’ Similarly, the UN Convention against
\nCorruption requires the authorities to ensure effective, proportionate
\nand dissuasive sanctions and penalties for corruption.”<\/p>\n

“According to our information, some principal officers and members of
\nthe Senate are allegedly using their official positions to get job slots
\nfrom government agencies, and that some government agencies are selling
\nthe employment slots at their disposal, with a single slot being sold
\nfor as much as N1.5 million.”<\/p>\n

“The agencies allegedly involved include: the Federal Inland Revenue
\nService, National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency, National Space Research
\nand Development Agency, the National Open University and the Federal
\nCivil Service Commission.”<\/p>\n

“The leadership of the Senate allegedly received 100 employment slots
\nfrom FIRS to share among themselves. The Senate President Ahmad Lawan
\n(Yobe North) allegedly secured 26 job slots from the FIRS.”<\/p>\n

“Senate Committee on Federal Character, Danjuma La’ah, reportedly
\nstated: ‘We are aware that some of the agencies are selling the
\nemployment slots at their disposal. They are commercialising employment,
\nselling a single slot for as much as N1.5m, when we have children who
\nhave graduated from tertiary institutions who could not get any job for
\nmany years. Some people are just taking Nigerians for granted. Our
\nchildren are suffering, running from one end to another, looking for
\njobs.'”<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, (SERAP) has asked the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to: “jointly carry out a…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":56720,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-69969","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exclusive"],"yoast_head":"\nSERAP asks ICPC, EFCC to probe Senate, MDAs over 'employment slots scandal' - Pointblank News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/exclusive\/serap-asks-icpc-efcc-to-probe-senate-mdas-over-employment-slots-scandal\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"SERAP asks ICPC, EFCC to probe Senate, MDAs over 'employment slots scandal' - 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