NIGERIAN President, Muhammadu Buhari has warned government officials and presidential appointees to desist from favoritism in government jobs and contract procurement.
Buhari gave this warning on Wednesday through a statement from the office of the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed signed by Segun Adeyemi, the Special Assistant to the President on Media.
He cautioned that government officials and political appointees should shun using their positions to confer ‘undue advantage’ to persons seeking government employment opportunities.
The President said he has received reports of fraudsters using business cards and referrals from presidential aides and government officials to seek for employment.
He noted that such action is against the antithetical character of his administration.
“President Muhammadu has again warned political appointees and other government officials against using their positions to bestow undue advantage on anyone seeking government jobs and other favours, saying this is antithetical to the character of the Administration,” the statement read.
He said Ministries, Departments, and Agencies should disregard any purported request from government officials aiming to confer undue advantage on anyone seeking such favours.
The statement added that the officials and aides should allow the system to work for all Nigerians without political interference.
This followed a recent altercation between Festus Keyamo, Minister of State for Labour and Employment, and the Joint National Assembly panel on the employment of 774,000 people under the National Directorate of Employment (NDE).
Keyamo alleged that he was walked out by the panel because he did not allow the panel to control the process of the 774,00o national recruitment.
However, Godiya Akwashiki, Chairman, Senate Committee on Labour, Employment, and Productivity, who presided over the joint National Assembly panel, denied the allegation levelled against them by Keyamo.
Akwashiki accused Keyamo of allegedly trying to build a political structure of 1,000 youths in each of the 774 local government areas across the country with the 774,000 jobs without the involvement of the NDE.
Lukman Abolade is an Investigative reporter with The ICIR. Reach out to him via [email protected], on twitter @AboladeLAA and FB @Correction94