A formal petition has been submitted to the Federal Character Commission (FCC) against Abubakar O. Sulaiman, the Director-General of the National Institute (NILDS).
The petition, authored by Professor Jake Dan-Azumi, accused Mr. Sulaiman of engaging in serious misconduct since his appointment in 2019, including abuse of office, violation of federal character principles, and breach of public trust.
The allegations centre on claims of nepotism and tribalism in the recruitment processes at NILDS.
It is asserted that approximately 95% of staff members’ appointments under Mr. Sulaiman had favoured individuals from Kwara State, particularly those with personal connections to him.
This practice, described as “kwaranization,” is seen as a blatant violation of the federal character principle, which mandates equitable distribution of public sector positions across Nigeria’s diverse states and ethnic groups.
The petition further alleged that Mr. Sulaiman had engaged in document tampering to misrepresent the state of origin of recruited staff members, which constituted not only a breach of public trust but also a criminal act.
Such actions are said to undermine the principles of transparency and accountability that are fundamental to public service.
Professor Dan-Azumi called for a comprehensive investigation by the FCC, urging an audit of all recruitment practices at NILDS since 2019, verification of state of origin documents, and scrutiny of any claims of specialist exceptions to federal character rules.
The petition highlights the urgent need for FCC intervention to restore integrity and equity in NILDS recruitment processes and prevent the perpetuation of inequality that could threaten national unity.
The petition has also been copied to key government officials, including the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), signaling the seriousness of the accusations and the demand for prompt action.
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