The recruitment exercise conducted by the Niger State Civil Service Commission (CSC) has been riddled with allegations of corruption, favoritism, and irregularities, sparking widespread criticism from various quarters.
Sources who spoke to Chronicles Reporters alleged that key figures, including the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Commissioners, and members of the State House of Assembly, have been granted special recruitment slots to favor their preferred candidates, bypassing the merit-based system.
One insider disclosed that some applicants who successfully passed online interviews and were shortlisted for physical screening were abruptly turned away during the interview process.
“Many applicants waited for over six hours, only to be told to leave without being interviewed,” the source revealed.
The rejected candidates were informed that their qualifications were unsuitable, even though they had been invited for the final stage. “They claimed they were looking for candidates with different qualifications, despite initially shortlisting us,” lamented another frustrated applicant.
According to CSC insiders, the commission chairman had minimal influence over the recruitment process. “The real authority lies with the SSG, Commissioners, and members of the State House of Assembly, who were allocated slots to place their own candidates,” a source explained.
It was further alleged that the list of successful candidates posted on the CSC website was not the one used for documentation. “A completely different list was utilized, leaving many shortlisted applicants excluded from the final documentation process,” another source disclosed.
The situation has left candidates, particularly in education and health sectors, disillusioned. “I applied for a position in education and was shortlisted, but my name was missing during documentation,” an applicant recounted. “Many of those called for documentation didn’t even attend the interviews.”
A source described the situation as a blatant case of injustice and corruption, calling on the government to intervene. “The government needs to establish a commission of inquiry to investigate these massive irregularities,” they said.
Applicants expressed frustration over the process. “This is no longer about merit; it’s about who you know or how much you can pay,” one candidate said.
A source familiar with the recruitment process alleged that the Deputy Governor, Yakubu Garba, who chairs the recruitment committee, has prohibited committee members from speaking to the media. “Journalists have made several attempts to uncover the truth, but their efforts have been blocked,” the source claimed.
Reports also emerged that a significant number of unqualified candidates were included in the list through the office of the SSG, Abubakar Usman. Allegations suggest that job slots were sold to the highest bidders for amounts ranging from N300,000 to N500,000.
Efforts to obtain comments from Binta Mamman, the state’s Commissioner for Information and Strategy, were unsuccessful. Calls and text messages sent to her remained unanswered.
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