Tag Archives: Secret Recruitment

Senate Probes Secret Recruitment, Lopsided Appointments In NHIS

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The Senate Tuesday commenced investigation into alleged illegal recruitment and lopsided appointments of some management staff of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

The probe also covers NHIS expenditure on trainings and travels.

Management staff of the scheme led by its Executive Secretary, Mr. Usman Yusuf, appeared before the Senate Committee on Health yesterday to answer question bordering on alleged illegal recruitment, lopsided appointments and expenditure on training and travels.

Yusuf told the committee that the new recruits were on “secondment” and not on appointment.

Asked if the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, who was present at the hearing, was aware of the “secondments” in the NHIS, the Executive Secretary answered in the negative.

He said, “No, he (Adewole) is not aware.”

The committee queried the NHIS boss why he spent N150 million on trainings and travels between January and June 2016, while the amount spent for the same purposes between July, August and September was between N2 million and N4 million, and the sum of N412 million was spent for the same purposes in October alone.

The committee noted that it received a petition against the NHIS in which the petitioner claimed that while the number of general managers of NHIS was raised from 23 to 25, their appointments were not in line with the Federal Character principle.

The panelists however declined to disclose the name of the petitioner as well as to provide
a copy of the petition to Yusuf.

The committee said that the petitioner claimed that the North-Central geopolitical zone, which had three representatives, now had five.

The petitioner was also said to have claimed that the North-East, which had three, now has
four while the North-West was raised from six to nine; South-East remained three; South-South dropped from four to three; while South-West reduced from four to one.

Yusuf insisted that, “It will be for the sake of fair hearing that I get a copy of the petition before I respond (to the allegation). I am not aware of any petition and I can only respond to the petition that I can see and read. I need to know what is in the petition and where the petition is coming from.”

Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Senator Lanre Tejuoso, said that Yusuf should be able to state if the figures were correct or not even without seeing the petition or knowing it came from.

The Executive Secretary insisted on seeing the petition before confirming or refuting the allegations.

He said, “I need fair hearing; I need to see a copy of that petition.”

The committee declined to grant the request for the NHIS boss to see a copy of the petition before responding to the allegations

The committee said that since the allegations were against the NHIS and the person of Yusuf, they were not obliged to give out a copy of the petition to the Executive Secretary.
A member of the committee, Senator Mao Ohuabunwa, noted the committee would confirm the allegations after going through the nominal roll of the NHIS.
The committee said that the NHIS boss failed to provide its nominal roll, which was the first information it requested from the scheme.

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Senate probes secret recruitment, lopsided appointments in NHIS

Senate summons Federal Civil Service boss over alleged secret employment

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The Senate on Wednesday invited the Chairman, Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC), Mrs Joan Ayo, to brief it over increasing allegations of secret employment by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in the country.

The upper chamber said that it is worried over the unending allegations that MDAs were clandestinely carrying out employments without due process.

Senate Committee on Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs said that the decision to invite the FCSC boss was taken after its oversight visit to the headquarters of the Federal Character Commission (FCC) in Abuja.

Acting Executive Chairman of FCC, Shettima Bukar Abba, was said to have lamented that government agencies have failed in their responsibilities to comply with the federal character principles.

Abba was also said to have disclosed that efforts by the FCC to get the FCSC to comply with the federal character principle as well as discourage secret employment in government agencies were being frustrated by denial of the FCSC boss.

Abba was said to have added that MDAs skew projects in the budget based on regional sentiments against an even distribution of projects as required by the principle of federal character.

The FCC boss was said to have told Senators that the unfortunate development, which was fast becoming a norm, was severally challenged in the past by the FCC, but to no avail.

He appealed for the support of the National Assembly, “because the commission needs its protection against erring government agencies.”

Abba said: “There is an issue I need to draw your attention to as well. Distribution of projects in the annual budget ought to be in compliance with the federal character principle. So far, you find that this has not been the case as it is skewed to favour one part at the expense of another.

“As legislators, I think you should watch out for this by ensuring that projects are not skewed to favour a particular section of the country.

“Also, I must add that in order to realise this, lawmakers should protect us (FCC) against MDAs in ensuring that the principle of federal character is maintained in drafting budget proposals.

“If they (MDAs) bring out their budget, their proposals must be balanced. They put in areas not based on the needs of people but based on sentiments. These are some of the issues we want your support on, since we believe it is what will keep this country together.”

Chairman, Senate Committee on Federal Character, Senator Tijjani Yahaya Kaura, in his ruling noted that following concerns raised by the Acting Chairman FCC, it became a necessary invite the FCSC boss to brief the Senate on the issues raised by FCC boss.

He noted that the FCSC boss should also be expected to throw light on her alleged failure to adhere to the provisions of federal character principles.

The Zamfara North Senatorial District assured the FCC of the Senate’s support saying, “It is because of our directive for submission of nominal rolls that is why government agencies are now rushing to you (FCC). We want to assure you that the National Assembly will stand by you and give you all the necessary support to succeed.”

Reps Probe Secret Recruitment Of 909 Employees By CBN

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The House of Representatives on Thursday began an investigation into the alleged ‘secret’ recruitment of 909 employees by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

The controversial recruitment was reportedly carried out by the apex bank on the directive of the Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, with a reasonable number of the beneficiaries being children and relatives of highly-placed persons in the country.

At a session presided over by the Speaker, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, in Abuja, the House asked its Committees on Federal Character, Banking/Currency to complete the investigation within three weeks.

An All Progressives Congress lawmaker from Kano State, Mr. Aliyu Madaki, had drawn the attention of the House to the recruitment under ‘matters of urgent public importance’.

Madaki noted that there were no prior notifications on the recruitment through advertisements to give all Nigerians the opportunity to apply.

He recalled that in 2015, there were speculations that the apex bank conducted a secret recruitment, but that the bank quickly denied it.

Madaki added that the latest development only confirmed that the bank carried out the earlier recruitment.

He stated, “The recruitment by the CBN is in breach of the Federal Character Principle as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

“The recruitment breached section 14(1); 14(3); and Section 17(1) of the constitution.

“There was no fairness, no justice in this exercise conducted by the CBN.”

Lawmakers did not debate the motion before passing it in a unanimous voice vote.

Dogara had overruled any debate on the issue on the grounds that it could pre-judge the outcome of the investigation.

“This is an investigation; let us not allow any debate so that we won’t pre-empt the outcome,” he added.

Credit: Punch