Unemployed graduates angry,ask Osinbajo to reverse secret recruitments

Unemployed graduates in the country have
expressed anger and disappointment with the
secret recruitments carried out by government
agencies since the All Progressives Congress
came to power in 2015 , asking the Acting
President , Prof . Yemi Osinbajo to reverse them.

The unemployed youths spoke to Saturday PUNCH
under the aegis of the Unemployed Graduates
of Nigeria , Association of Nigerian Graduates
Against Unemployment and the Youths Arise
against Unemployment and Poverty .
They said it was a betrayal of trust for a
government that enjoyed massive support and
goodwill from Nigerians , including unemployed
youths , to allow back- door employment for
children of politically powerful individuals
while majority of Nigerians continue to live in
abject penury .

Vice President Yemi Osinbanjo

Under the government of President Muhammadu Buhari, several agencies have engaged in secret recruitments of employees as against advertising vacancies in line with the provisions of the law and federal character .

Such agencies that have engaged in secret
recruitments in the last two years include the
Central Bank of Nigeria , Federal Inland
Revenue Service , Nigeria Security and Civil
Defence Corps and the Nigerian Prisons Service .
Investigations by The PUNCH in December 2016
had revealed that the authorities of the NSCDC
had enlisted about 100 candidates who were
relatives , wards and protégés of politicians and
influential personalities from the northern part
of the country into the service .

The CBN had similarly given plum jobs to
relatives or wards of people who are politically
connected with the government .

FIRS had in 2016 also employed 349 new
employees without any public advertisement of
vacancies just as the NPS admitted to the House
of Representatives Committee on Public
Petitions during a public hearing that it had
recruited 605 persons without placing any
public advertisement .

The youth therefore called on the Acting
President , Prof . Yemi Osinbajo , to toe the line
of honour based on the promise of change
made to Nigerians by this government and
reverse the irregular recruitments and also
punish heads of the affected government
agencies .

The Convener, UGN , Michael Odor , who
described the irregular recruitments as a
deliberate ploy by the ruling elite to continue to
impoverish the masses, called for the reversal
of the recruitments and punishment of the
heads of the agencies found culpable.
He said , “ Such recruitments are wrong and the
actions have inflicted injury in the hearts of
many Nigerian youths . Acting President
Osinbajo has to reverse all the recruitments
and let everyone that is interested apply afresh .
“ He should also sanction the heads of agencies
found to have carried out such recruitments
because it is important to be accountable to
Nigerians .

“ It is a deliberate attempt by the elite to
continue to put the masses in a position of
constant need so that they can always lure the
poor with money and use them whenever they
want . We are sitting on a keg of gunpowder. ”
Similarly , National Public Relations Officer,
Association of Nigerian Graduates Against
Unemployment , Mr . Oni Kehinde , called for
sanctions against heads of affected agencies ,
saying government “ must deal with them for
the illegal recruitments. ”

Kehinde described the implications of the
irregular recruitments as grave for the country
and its struggling economy, adding that “ such
recruitments are meant for some selected few
connected to the ruling cabal . ”

He said , “ Osinbajo should revisit and reverse
all the recruitments done by the agencies. A
common man should be able to apply and
stand an equal chance with everyone else to
get the job as long as he has the required
qualifications . It is obvious that the
recruitments the agencies had done under this
government are not meant for the masses.

“ I have not seen the child of a pepper seller
gain employment in any of these government
agencies . The implication is bad for our
economy because they are giving jobs to people
who will resume work late because they know
they are cousins or wards of ministers, so they
are only loyal to their uncles and not the
country.

“ When it comes to employment and
empowerment, this government will score less
than one per cent when you consider what it
promised us . ”

Public Relations Officer , Youths Arise Against
Unemployment and Poverty , Mr . John Ovie ,
also called for the “ punishment of all those
involved in the illegal recruitments in
government agencies . ”

Ovie said if the government failed to reverse
the recruitments, it would totally fail Nigerians ,
whom it had promised positive change in the
way the government was being run .

“ This government promised Nigerians change
when it came in but it appears that it is worse
than the previous ones . Even common
recruitments, this government cannot make
them transparent.

“ With its mantra of change , we ought to have
seen the change from Day 1 , but clearly , it has
all been lies, ” he said .

A graduate of Accounting from Olabisi
Onabanjo University , Ogun State , Adebimpe
Olukayode , 26 , who had been looking for job
since 2013 , also urged the Federal Government
to sack the heads of agencies where such
recruitments took place.

She said , “ Today ’ s political leaders are the ones
taking corruption to another level . They said
the change should start from us , yet they are
not walking their talk . Why should any of them
fill those agencies with their children?

“ Many of us struggled throughout school, their
children never did , yet they would still place
them at a more advantageous position than us .
There should be fairness in recruitment in
government agencies .

“ I want to plead with Acting President Osinbajo
to ask the agencies to reverse the shoddy
recruitment ; it ’ s not fair. It ’ s unjust ; it ’ s
criminal . As a matter of fact, the Acting
President should also sack the heads of the
agencies involved in illegal recruitments. Or at
least, he should penalise them . ”

Olukayode ’ s thoughts were echoed by a
Biochemistry graduate of the University of
Lagos , Isaac Chibuike, 32 , who also called on
the Federal Government to “ quickly ” reverse
the shoddy employment processes .

He said , “ It was unjust for the agencies to have
filled their vacancies with the children of the
political elite . They said the previous
administration was corrupt . Is what they did
righteousness ?

“ It is high time corruption was dealt with at
every level . I think Acting President Osinbajo
could play a major role here . He and Buhari
said they would fight corruption to a standstill ;
they should not just stop at those who looted
funds ; they should continue from here .

“ For starters , let the Federal Government
reverse the recruitment and then let an
investigative panel be set up to look into those
who spearheaded the recruitment processes .
Anyone found guilty should be fired . Let every
recruitment process be open to all , irrespective
of our class in the society . ”

For Kazeem Fawole , 32 , who has been looking
for a job for the past seven years, making
recruitments open in Federal Government
agencies would have ensured a level – playing
field for all graduates .

The Ladoke Akintola University of Technology
graduate also called on the Acting President to
reverse the shoddy recruitments and fire the
heads of agencies responsible.
He said , “ Some of us graduates were sidelined
in all the recruitments. I think it would be
wrong to be preaching against corruption when
some political leaders are practising it .

“ I think Osinbajo could step up and fight
corruption from within. He should mandate all
the agencies to reverse the shoddy recruitments
that took place and punish the agencies’ heads .
That ’ s how we will know that the government
is serious about fighting corruption . ” SERAP , CACOL back calls

In the same vein, Executive Director , Socio –
Economic Rights and Accountability Project , Mr .
Adetokunbo Mumuni, said “ whatever is done
that is contrary to due process , transparency
and the right of Nigerians to know what
happens in any government establishment
cannot stand and must be reversed . ”

He said , “ When recruitments are done through
the back- door , the most likely scenario will be
that Nigerians in their multitude will be
shortchanged abundantly and that should not
be so in a democracy.

“ If we voted for a government , it means it is by
the power of majority of the people that the
government came into existence to exercise
governmental powers and the way it must
exercise the powers must be in the interest of
the majority of the people .

“ A situation where people are employed
clandestinely , contrary to the demand of
transparency and accountability cannot be
allowed . It is in that regard that we align with
the view that all the recruitments must be
reversed and the heads of agencies that
engaged in clandestine methods should be
sanctioned . ”

Like SERAP , the Centre for Anti – Corruption and
Open Leadership also described the secret
recruitments as tantamount to treason , saying
they were “ inequitable and not in accordance
with the principles of public good . ”
Executive Chairman , CACOL, Mr . Debo
Adeniran, said , “ There should be equal
opportunities for everybody to have access to
anything that will benefit the citizenry .

“ Doing recruitments secretly means there is
preferential treatment , which is not allowed
under the Nigerian Constitution because
everybody is equal before the law .

“ And once the provision of the law is not
followed , it means it is an illegal exercise . Not
only should such recruitments be null and void
and of no effect , those who made it possible for
certain people to be secretly recruited should
be punished because it is as good as a
conspiracy against the citizenry . It is almost as
bad as committing treason . ”