The civil society noted that this was manifest nepotism in violation of extant laws.
A civil society organisation, the Vanguard for Positive Change has decried the impunity of the Registrar of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), Dr Tajudeen Sanusi, who allegedly secretly recruited 123 persons into the council.
The civil society noted that this was manifest nepotism in violation of extant laws.
The organisation revealed that the practice of obtaining waiver from the Federal Character Commission by Ministries, Departments and Agencies to carry out secret employment was becoming worrisome as it denied the public service of highly competent and qualified Nigerians from available employment vacancies.
The Director, Vanguard For Positive Change, Mr Ojo Kolawole, who spoke to SaharaReporters, revealed that MDCN Registrar Sanusi, procured a waiver in late 2021 not to advertise employment vacancies from Federal Character Commission at MDCN which he relied on to quietly recruit a total of one hundred and twenty three (123) staff between 20th December 2021 and 1st March 2022 without due process.
Kolawole stated that in the waiver, he was granted approval for 97 vacancies for MDCN but exceeded the recruitment waiver, adding that the Registrar over-reached his office by assuming the powers of the governing board and the supervisory ministry of health to directly carry out the recent recruitment of staff in disregard to federal government circular (Ref. No. 58775/II/T/358) / (Ref. No. 59814/C.8/IV/T7/140) on streamlining of recruitment process in Federal Government establishment issued by Secretary to the government of federation with the aim of making the recruitment process more transparent.
The Executive Director, said that in manifest nepotism and ethnicity, employed 26 persons from his home State, Kwara while only six persons were employed from the entire South East region.
According to him, "the distribution of employment positions shows that Kwara State alone was allocated 26 positions which accounts for more than half of the entire 44 slots for North Central Zone. Others are South East Zone with 6 slots; South South Zone with 11 slots; North West Zone with 14 slots; North East Zone with 21 slots; and South West Zone with 24 slots."
He said that in clear manifestation of nepotism and ethnicity of this current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, the recruitment did not take federal character principle which ensures equity and fairness in the distribution of opportunities among the six geo-political zones into consideration.
Kolawole stated that the recruitment was shrouded in complete secrecy as the available vacancies were simply shared amongst relatives, friends and associates of the leadership of MDCN without any form of assessments to determine their eligibility and competence for the jobs as required.
"The leadership of MDCN had collaborators in relevant government agencies particularly officials of Federal Character Commission and IPPIS that were rewarded with employment slots at the expense of thousands of more qualified Nigerians who do not have people in the corridor of powers to speak for them."
In a petition to the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, dated October 31, 2022, which was titled: "Secret Recruitment Exercise at Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria," Kolawole stated that the action of the Registrar violated Public Service Rule 030402/r which classifies nepotism and favouritism as serious misconduct.
The petition was also copied to Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Chairman, Federal Character Commission, but the federal government bodies failed to investigate the manifest nepotism of Dr Sanusi, which had become the trademark of Buhari's administration.
"It is in a bid to encourage accountability and discouraged this ugly trend of secret and fraudulent recruitment which encourages nepotism, favouritism and mediocrity in the public service that Vanguard For Positive Change as a civil society organisation petitioned Dr Tajudeen Sanusi for serious misconduct and abuse of office to relevant government agencies particularly the Federal Ministry of Health which is the supervising Ministry of Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria to independently investigate these allegations and ensure transparency in government activities."