APC Warns Jonathan’s Administration Against Last Minute Recruitment, Privatisation

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has warned officials of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration to desist from creating more problems for the incoming government of Muhammadu Buhari by last minute looting and recruitment.

A statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said that the party has been inundated with calls and messages by concerned Nigerians alerting the party of unscrupulous actions of some officials in the government of President Jonathan.

“While the Jonathan Administration remains in office till midnight of May 28, governance in the country will not stop because a new President has been elected but the outgoing Administration must not create any more problems for the incoming government than it had already done or to tie the new government’s hands through some suspicious actions”.

“For example, the National Council on Privatization which is headed by the Vice President has just approved the financial bid opening for transaction advisers for the privatization of the three Development Finance Institutions in the country, the Bank of Agriculture, Bank of Industry and Nigeria Commodity Exchange. The question is: What is the rationale for rushing this exercise with just weeks left for this administration? Also, there have been reports yet un-refuted of a planned hurried recruitment into the Nigeria Immigration Service, (NIS) after a previous attempt ended in a national tragedy and the fleecing of innocent job seekers by mindless federal government officials. Apart from the fact that this last-minute recruitment is suspect, it is irregular” he added.

“The Civil Defense, Fire, Immigration and Prisons Services Board (CDFIPSB) is only empowered to recruit, promote and discipline only senior officers (levels 8 and above). The power to recruit, promote and discipline junior officers is vested in the different services, in this case the Nigeria Immigration Service. Therefore, the recruitment exercise now being conducted by the Federal Civil Service under the auspices of the Presidential Committee to Assist on Immigration Recruitment usurps the functions of the Board as it relates to recruitment of Senior Officers (level 08) and that of the Immigration Service as it relates to Junior Officers (levels 07 and below)”.

Mohammed said, however, that the APC will not waste time in probing the Jonathan administration, but will get down to work as soon as it assumes power.

“While it is true that the incoming Buhari Administration will not get itself bogged down by an endless probe of the activities of the Jonathan Administration, all actions taken since the result of the March 28 presidential election was announced may come under the searchlight.”

“We do not know if this report as well as others is true. But if indeed these rushed privatizations and hurried recruitment exercises – in the twilight of the Jonathan Administration – are true, they raise serious questions concerning the reasons behind such actions. We are therefore compelled to call on President Jonathan to call his Administration officials to order lest they engage in actions that can later embarrass his Administration,” the statement read.