*Staff, stakeholders accuse ED of flouting civil service procedures

*NEPC describes allegation as ‘egregious and blatant misinformation’

Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

Aggrieved Staff and stakeholders have accused the Executive Director of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC,) Nonye Ayeni, of nepotism, gross abuse of office and violation of established civil service procedures ahead of this week Council’s 2025 promotion exercise.

Already, the issue is currently generating crisis between the management, aggrieved staff and stakeholders at  the NEPC and the promotion exercise is slated to hold between July 9 and 11.

The aggrieved staff also accused the director of unlawfully removing a procurement officer to favour her tribal individual.

They further accused her of high-handedness and disregard for the Public Service Rules (PSR) among others.

The Council has however described the allegations as: “egregious and blatant misinformation and a poor understanding of how promotion examinations are conducted in the civil service.”

The aggrieved staff, in documents made  available to journalists in Ilorin, Kwara State over the weekend  alleged that Ayeni appointed unqualified individuals to senior positions and arbitrarily redeployed others to roles outside their fields of competence, to create discontent and confusion among career staff.

According to them: “There is a growing sense that Mrs. Ayeni runs the Council like her personal business. She discards federal circulars and acts as if she embodies the powers of the Head of Service, the Federal Civil Service Commission, and the National Council on Establishments combined.”

They said that Ayeni’s poise is not only illegal but also undermines meritocracy and staff morale.

Their concern that heralds the three-day NEPC 2025 Promotion Exercise (July 9 to 11, 2025,) is targeted at stopping their boss from alleged further abuse of office.

They hinted that: “out of the 102 staff members listed as eligible for the exercise, Ayeni handpicked only 14 candidates for the exercise —raising concerns of favouritism and non-compliance with due process.

According to them, the recently released promotion list generated tension, anxiety, and outrage among the staff due to the inclusion of certain officers reportedly disqualified by extant circulars from participating in the promotion exercise.

They cited the Circular on Use of Only Academic Qualifications for Entry into the Civil/Public Service, with reference No. HCSF/SPsO/ODD/NCE/CND.100/S.10/111/104, dated 12th April 2021 which  stipulates that only academic qualifications, and not professional certifications, shall be used for entry or advancement in the Public Service.

In a clarification issued by the Office of the Head of Civil Service, it was stated: “A holder of HND and a professional certificate without a Postgraduate Diploma (PGD) and a Master’s Degree or a Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant field from a recognised varsity cannot be promoted to the Directorate level in the Public Service as stipulated in the extant scheme of service.”

The staff alleged that Ayeni has concluded plans to promote some officers excluded from previous promotion examinations for their lack of required qualifications.

Meanwhile, some career staff in the council have also accused Ayeni of abuse of office having unlawfully replaced a procurement officer with her tribal man, said to lack the required qualifications.

An aggrieved source said one Rilwanu Salisu Kallamu, a certified procurement officer employed in 2019 was wrongfully redeployed.

“His removal was orchestrated to allow a non-procurement officer of the same ethnic group as Mrs. Ayeni to assume control of the procurement unit,” he said.

Sources further alleged that Mrs. Ayeni has consistently engaged in wrongful posting and transfer of staff, in clear violation of the Public Service Rules (PSR).

They cited Kallamu’s transferred to Port Harcourt last year as a Trade Promotion Officer — a role outside his professional expertise as a trending case of injustice and unfair treatment.

According to source, this move was made to properly position the Executive Director’s cronies and tribal affiliates in the Procurement Unit.

Meanwhile, the NEPC has debunked allegations of a breach of civil service rules in the forthcoming promotion examinations at the council.

It described the allegations as “egregious and blatant misinformation and a poor understanding of how promotion examinations are conducted in the civil service.”

A statement by the Director, Policy and Strategy, at the NEPC, Lawal Shehu Dalhat, noted that, “one person, ED/CEO cannot unilaterally promote staff.”

The Director emphasised that: “To put things in context, last year, 74 members of staff of the Council sat for promotion examinations from 3-4 April, 2024 which ran all day up until past midnight. 49 passed and were promoted.

“It was adjudged free, fair and without irregularities and bias. The success of that exercise which was not disputed by a member of staff or management was a clear demonstration of Ayeni’s attention to detail, strict adherence to extant civil service rules and her long experience as a past Head of Human Resources at Zenith Bank Plc, a fact many people at the council were not even aware of.”

Explaining how its exams are conducted, it stated: “Before a promotion examination is held, the Council will write to the Head of Service (HoS) for approval of its manpower budget where the available vacancies for promotion are considered and approved by the HoS.

“The request must be accompanied with justification showing that members of staff have met the statutory requirement to seat for the promotion exercise which include serving on a grade level for the requisite three (3/4) years before they can sit for promotion, among other things.

“If the HoS sees merit in the application, the approval will be granted and once that approval is granted the ED/CEO will then convene a Senior Staff Committee meeting that considers the approval, comes up with the date, disciplinary and administrative issues modalities and format for the interview and examination. At this point, the date and list of approved candidates will be communicated via a circular”.

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