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 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.’”