Decline Any Official Letter Lobbying Employment, FG Tells Agencies

President Muhammadu Buhari has admonished political appointees and other government officials to refrain from using their positions to influence recruitment exercise.

The president warning is coming on the heels of an altercation between minister of state, labour and employment, Festus Keyamo and federal lawmakers where the former accused the latter of trying to usurp the process of a recruitment exercise he’s in charge of.

The president expressed displeasure at the idea of public office holders using their positions to bestow undue advantage on anyone seeking government jobs and other favours.

The president gave the admonition In a statement on Wednesday.

Minister of information and culture, Lai Mohammed quoted the president as saying such action runs counter “to the character of the administration”.

Mohammed said the president’s repeated warning became imperative following persistent reports of fraudsters using the business cards and purported referral letters from presidential aides and other government officials to solicit employment, contract and other favours.

He said ministries, departments and agencies should disregard any purported request from government officials aiming to confer undue advantage on anyone seeking such favours.

He said the administration has put in place a systematic and disciplined approach to ensure that the government runs smoothly for all Nigerians, whether in the area of employment or contract procurement.

”This system should be allowed to work for all Nigerians without interference,” Mohammed said.

In the past few days, there has been impasse about the planned recruitment of 774,000 citizens into the public works programme by the federal government.

Also Read: 774, 000 Jobs: Ruckus In N’assembly As Keyamo, Lawmakers Engage In Verbal War

In April 6, Zainab Ahmed, minister of finance, budget and national planning, announced that the president approved the engagement of 774,000 Nigerians for the programme implemented by the National Directorate of Employment (NDE).

In May, Festus Keyamo said up to 10 percent slots of the beneficiaries of the programme in each state would be allotted to political office holders “like our distinguished senators, honourable members, ministers and governors”.

But Keyamo later alleged that some politicians were trying to blackmail him over the recruitment into the special public works programme.

During a meeting at the national assembly on Tuesday, there was a heated exchange between Keyamo and some lawmakers who faulted the recruitment exercise.

The lawmakers accused the minister of hijacking the programme from the NDE, but Keyamo fired back, saying they were the ones trying to take over the project.