According to the staff, the situation has deteriorated to the point where employees are now openly discussing a nationwide demonstration to protest what they allege are persistent acts of corruption, intimidation, selective punishment, and ethnic favouritism under Mrs. Ayeni’s leadership.
A fresh crisis is deepening unrest at the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), as dozens of staff members have accused the Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mrs. Nonye Ayeni, of alleged abuse of office, nepotism, high-handedness, and a blatant disregard for the Public Service Rules, raising fears of an imminent nationwide protest.
Multiple affected staff members told SaharaReporters that palpable tension has gripped the Council following what they described as a controversial and vindictive mass redeployment of no fewer than 68 officers from the NEPC headquarters in Abuja to states where insecurity is worse, without payment of statutory transfer and resettlement allowances.
According to the staff, the situation has deteriorated to the point where employees are now openly discussing a nationwide demonstration to protest what they allege are persistent acts of corruption, intimidation, selective punishment, and ethnic favouritism under Mrs. Ayeni’s leadership.
History Of Petitions And Lingering Crisis
SaharaReporters gathered that this is not the first time the NEPC under Mrs. Ayeni has been engulfed in controversy.
The Council has, in recent months, reportedly witnessed a series of internal crises stemming from allegations of abuse of office and authoritarian management style.
Staff and exporters had earlier submitted petitions to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), calling for a comprehensive investigation into the activities of Mrs. Ayeni as the Chief Executive Officer of the NEPC.
The petitioners alleged persistent violations of public service regulations, suppression of dissenting opinions, and the manipulation of administrative processes for personal or sectional interests.
Mass Redeployment Sparks Outrage
The latest crisis reportedly arose from what staff described as an unfair, lopsided, and poorly-conceived redeployment exercise that saw about 68 officers abruptly transferred from the headquarters to areas with insecurity.
Multiple sources said the redeployment was not driven by any operational necessity or staff needs assessment, but rather served as a tool of intimidation and coercion.
“The transfers were characterised by sheer vindictiveness,” one senior staff member told SaharaReporters.
“It was meant to instil fear and force absolute loyalty to the Executive Director. Those who raised questions, insisted on following laid-down rules, or expressed opinions different from hers were branded as ‘non-conformists’ and punished.”
Another staff member, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of victimisation, described the redeployment as unprecedented in the Council’s history.
“This is the first time in over 15 years that such a mass redeployment has taken place,” the source said.
“What makes it worse is that it was done in total secrecy. No management staff were involved. It was allegedly carried out exclusively between Mrs. Ayeni and the Director of Human Resources, Mrs. Esther Ikporah.”
No Management Approval, No Due Process
Investigations by SaharaReporters revealed that the redeployment exercise was not discussed or approved by the NEPC Management Committee, contrary to established public service procedures.
In the Nigerian Public Service, mass transfers and redeployments are ordinarily deliberated upon by the Management Committee, which comprises all Directors.
Such decisions are expected to be backed by documented need analysis, formal minutes, and approval of the financial implications, including transfer allowances.
However, in this instance, several Directors reportedly became aware of the redeployment only after discovering that key staff members in their departments had been transferred without prior notice or consultation.
“This completely undermines institutional governance,” a management-level source said. “You cannot wake up one morning and move dozens of officers without discussion, justification, or budgetary provision.”
Married Women And High-Risk Postings
Staff members further raised concerns over the humanitarian and security implications of the redeployment exercise.
They alleged that married women were transferred away from their families in Abuja, while other officers were redeployed to states in the North-West and North-East, regions widely affected by banditry, kidnapping, and terrorism.
Clarifying the issue, affected staff members explained that while married women were separated from their spouses and children, other officers were posted to high-risk and insecure locations.
This, they said, violates the Public Service Rules, particularly Rule 020608, which provides that an officer who desires to live and work where their spouse resides shall be allowed to do so, provided the Ministry, Department, or Agency has a branch in that location and an established post exists.
No Transfer Allowances, Staff Forced To Borrow
Perhaps the most distressing aspect of the redeployment, according to staff, is the alleged failure of NEPC management to pay statutory transfer and resettlement allowances.
In line with Public Service Rules 140106 and 140134, officers transferred from one station to another are entitled to allowances to cover transportation, hotel accommodation for up to 28 days, and initial resettlement costs, except where the transfer was initiated at the officer’s request.
In this case, staff insist that the redeployments were compulsory, yet no allowances have been paid as of January 19, 2026.
“Many of us had no choice,” one affected employee said. “Once you are transferred, failure to report immediately is treated as misconduct and could lead to termination.
“To avoid punishment, people borrowed money, took loans, and begged friends and family just to travel and secure temporary accommodation.”
Posting Outside Professional Cadres
For example, one Mr. Maruff Ogunlana who is a certified Auditor and doubles as the Chairman of the NEPC Staff Union, was redeployed from the Audit Unit to Trade Information Department, where he cannot apply his expertise on the job, contrary to the Public Service Rules that states as follows; “Posting of Officers to posts outside their professional cadres is prohibited”.
Sources connect his posting with his adherence to audit rules and regulations. What saved him from being sent to Maiduguri or Zamfara was his position as the NEPC Union Chairman and the likely backlash that may have erupted from the National Union of Association of Senior Civil Servants.
Previously, one Mr. Rilwanu Salisu Kallamu, the only certified Procurement Officer in the Council was transferred from the Procurement Unit to Port Hardcourt and later Lokoja Office in Kogi State.
His transfer was done despite the absence of a certified Procurement Officer in the Procurement Unit. All complaints, including petitions to ICPC and the intervention of the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, including publications by Sahara Reporters reportedly fell on deaf ears.
As it is, contracts are being processed and awarded in the NEPC without the input of a qualified Procurement Officer.
Transfers fraught with Nepotism
On several cases, Mrs. Nonye has been accused of tribalism/nepotism in running the affairs of the NEPC.
"For instance, it is clear that among the Officers that were affected by the mass transfers/redeployments, no Officer from her tribal affiliation was transferred from headquarters except one Mrs. Angela Uche-Echieh who was posted to head a State Office, which is more like a promotion,” a source said.
"It is obvious that officers of a particular region were completely insulated from the exercise. Another case of nepotism cited by a concerned staff member of the NEPC is that of Mrs. Nkiru Nnabuife-Uzo, an Assistant Director who has been assigned above her superiors to head the Internal Audit Unit in violation of the seniority policy recognised by the Public Service Rules.
"Mrs. Nkiru was redeployed to head the Internal Audit while her seniors; Mr. Joshua Mani, (a more senior Assistant Director (Accounts) and Mrs. Aderonke Olaiya (Deputy Director- Accounts) are left in the pool," the source said.
Resign If You Can’t Take The Heat
Staff members also recounted an incident in which Mrs. Ayeni allegedly told employees that “if they cannot handle the heat, they should resign.”
Shortly after the redeployment exercise, she reportedly travelled to the United States for a three-week visit to see her children, without formally handing over to any Director, as required by public service regulations.
Calls For Accountability
Affected staff members are now demanding the release of any circular or official signal authorising the redeployments, as well as clarification on the specific rules guiding the exercise.
They also want records of an emergency staff meeting held at the NEPC headquarters on January 15, 2025, which was attended in person by Mrs. Ayeni and streamed via Google Meet to state offices nationwide, during which she allegedly promised to look into their complaints.
On July 3, 2025, SaharaReporters reported that Nonye has been accused of abusing her office by unlawfully removing a procurement officer from his professional post to pave the way for an individual from her tribal group, who allegedly lacked the required qualifications.
According to multiple sources who spoke to SaharaReporters, Mr. Rilwanu Salisu Kallamu, a certified procurement officer employed in 2019 and posted to the Procurement Unit, was wrongfully redeployed from his position.
‘Procurement Officer Removed to Favour Unqualified Tribal Ally’
His removal, the sources allege, was orchestrated to allow a non-procurement officer of the same ethnic group as Mrs. Ayeni to assume control of the procurement unit.
Sources told SaharaReporters that Mrs. Ayeni paved the way for Kenneth Ezeagu, who is from the same tribe as her, to replace Rilwan and David Sharpe'ter Yarkwan, who are of Hausa and Tiv extraction respectively.
"Mrs. Nonye Ayeni and Kenneth are both Igbo. He has become her eyes in the department. She deliberately placed him there, removing the qualified officers in violation of the Public Service Rules," one of the workers said.
Sources further alleged that Mrs. Ayeni has consistently engaged in wrongful posting and transfer of staff, in clear violation of the Public Service Rules (PSR). One insider described her style of deployment as “a tool of intimidation, coercion, and forced submission.”
"Any officer who expresses dissenting views or refuses to comply with her directives is immediately marked for transfer," one of the sources said. "These transfers are often carried out in disregard of the Public Service Rules."
Public Service Rule 020602 explicitly states: "All senior staff can be posted and/or redeployed to new posts in accordance with the approved Employee Mobility Policy."
When SaharaReporters reached out to the NEPC spokesperson, Mr. Aliu Seidu Sadiq, he first questioned how the correspondent had obtained his contact details.
After the questions were forwarded to him, he claimed that the network was poor. Subsequent efforts to reach him by phone and obtain his reaction were unsuccessful