NEITI’s Controversial Recruitment

In the recent controversial recruitment of the South East zone of the country the south east got the highest share of allocation for 70 new staff by the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), Daily Trust investigation reveals.

NEITI is a Nigerian government agency with affiliation with the global Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI).

Abia State got eight slots (the highest), half of which went to Arochukwu LGA where the current Executive Secretary, Ogbonnaya Orji, hails from this is coming from an analysis of the distribution indicates that

A copy of the nominal roll of the agency, exclusively obtained by Daily Trust, also shows striking semblance in names on the new staff list, which indicate possible relationships between some of the recruits and NEITI’s management and board members.

Sources within and outside the transparency agency had alleged that some of the basic requirements for employment were not followed in the recruitment process, while others said through a highly discreet process, the agency hired dozens of relatives of government officials including those of some members of its board.

NEITI has, however, denied the allegations insisting it followed guidelines and obtained a waiver from the Federal Character Commission allowing it to recruit without advertising.

Both NEITI and FCC could not grant Daily Trust’s request to obtain a copy of the waiver.

However, a copy of the FCC’s guidelines for recruitment into the Federal Public Service seen by our reporter partly states: “MDAs shall ensure, and provide comprehensive job description (academic qualifications and cognate experience) required for each vacant position.

While maintaining that “All vacancies shall be advertised in at least two newspapers circulating nationally, giving prospective candidates, a minimum of six weeks within which to apply, the guidelines further state: “The spread of all vacancies to be filled shall be predetermined in relation to the current levels of (Federal Character) representation, by states or zones, at a joint meeting of MDA and the FCC.”

The commission, which is empowered by law to monitor and ensure recruitment by government offices follow the law and maintain a spread across states and local government areas has admitted it issued a certificate of clearance and granted a waiver to NEITI  not to advertise but critics and some accountability activists have accused it of compromise.

Some civil society organisations are demanding evidence of transparency in the recruitment process from NEITI and the FCC.

Taiwo Otitolaye, National Coordinator, Publish what you Pay, said: “A coalition of 150 civil society organisations, including ours, is demanding details of the recruitment from NEITI because the process is not clear to us.

Besides employing 70 staff in addition to 43 is quite large. Even the EITI international headquarters has less than 40 staff. This is a waste of public funds.”

A check on the website of the IETI shows that its international secretariat located in Oslo, Norway, currently has 5 management and 42 staff.

On the waiver granted by FCC, Otitolaye said: “The Commission has erred in its own rules. Did they also collect slots? You cannot give a waiver for the recruitment of 70 staff. Let us see the approval letters/waiver given to NEITI.”

Contacted, the Director of Public Affairs at the Federal Character Commission, Dr. Chuks Okoli, confirmed that a waiver was granted to NEITI but maintained that it does not amount to a licence to do whatever they like.

“It has to conform to our character balancing index, which emphasises the spread on a state-by-state basis,” he said while denying the alleged compromise of its recruitment rules for slots from NEITI.

On the conditions for granting a waiver, the FCC spokesperson said: “We grant a waiver if the number of staff to be recruited is high. This is to avoid a repeat of the kind of stampede that occurred at the Abuja National Stadium in 2014 during the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) recruitment exercise.”

Similarly, Mrs. Shade Boriowo, Director of Information in the Budget and National Planning Office could not comment on whether the letter from NEITI seeking financial clearance to enroll the new 70 staff on the IPPIS had been granted.

“The perm sec may be in a better position to answer you because I am personally unaware of this,” Bassey said.

(Daily Trust)