By Demola Akinyemi, Ilorin

The aggrieved Staff and stakeholders in Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC)have accused the Excecutive Director, Mrs Nonye Ayeni of nepotism, gross abuse of office and violation of established civil service procedures ahead of this week Council’s 2025 promotion exercise.

They also accused the director of unlawfully removing a procurement officer to favour a candidate from her tribe and further accused her of high-handedness and disregard for the Public Service Rules (PSR) among others.

The NEPC has however described the allegations as: “egregious and blatant misinformation and a poor understanding of how promotion examinations are conducted in the civil service.”

The aggrieved staff, in documents made available to newsmen in Ilorin, on Sunday alleged that Ayeni appointed unqualified individuals to senior positions and arbitrarily redeployed others to roles outside their fields of competence, to create discontent and confusion among career staff.

According to them: “There is a growing sense that Mrs. Ayeni runs the Council like her personal business. She discards federal circulars and acts as if she embodies the powers of the Head of Service, the Federal Civil Service Commission, and the National Council on Establishments combined.”

They said that Ayeni’s poise is not only illegal but also undermines meritocracy and staff morale.

Their concern that heralds the three-day NEPC 2025 Promotion Exercise (July 9 to 11, 2025,) is targeted at stopping their boss from alleged further abuse of office.

They hinted that: “out of the 102 staff members listed as eligible for the exercise, Ayeni handpicked only 14 candidates for the exercise —raising concerns of favouritism and non-compliance with due process.

According to them, the recently released promotion list generated tension, anxiety, and outrage among the staff due to the inclusion of certain officers reportedly disqualified by extant circulars from participating in the promotion exercise.

They cited the Circular on Use of Only Academic Qualifications for Entry into the Civil/Public Service, with reference No. HCSF/SPsO/ODD/NCE/CND.100/S.10/111/104, dated 12th April 2021 which stipulates that only academic qualifications, and not professional certifications, shall be used for entry or advancement in the Public Service.

In a clarification issued by the Office of the Head of Civil Service, it was stated:
“A holder of HND and a professional certificate without a Postgraduate Diploma (PGD) and a Master’s Degree or a Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant field from a recognised varsity cannot be promoted to the Directorate level in the Public Service as stipulated in the extant scheme of service.”

The staff alleged that Ayeni has concluded plans to promote some officers excluded from previous promotion examinations for their lack of required qualifications.

Meanwhile, some career staff in the council have also accused Ayeni of abuse of office having unlawfully replaced a procurement officer with her tribal man, said to lack the required qualifications.

An aggrieved source said one Rilwanu Salisu Kallamu, a certified procurement officer employed in 2019 was wrongfully redeployed.

“His removal was orchestrated to allow a non-procurement officer of the same ethnic group as Mrs. Ayeni to assume control of the procurement unit,” he 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).

They cited Kallamu’s transferred to Port Harcourt last year as a Trade Promotion Officer — a role outside his professional expertise as a trending case of injustice and unfair treatment.

According to source, this move was made to properly position the Executive Director’s cronies and tribal affiliates in the Procurement Unit.

In a reaction to the allegations, the NEPC in a statement by the Director, Policy and Strategy, at the NEPC, Lawal Shehu Dalhat,debunked allegations of a breach of civil service rules in the forthcoming promotion examinations at the council.

It described the allegations as “egregious and blatant misinformation and a poor understanding of how promotion examinations are conducted in the civil service.”, adding that, “one person, ED/CEO cannot unilaterally promote staff.”

The Director emphasised that: “To put things in context, last year, 74 members of staff of the Council sat for promotion examinations from 3-4 April, 2024 which ran all day up until past midnight. 49 passed and were promoted.

“It was adjudged free, fair and without irregularities and bias. The success of that exercise which was not disputed by a member of staff or management was a clear demonstration of Ayeni’s attention to detail, strict adherence to extant civil service rules and her long experience as a past Head of Human Resources at Zenith Bank Plc, a fact many people at the council were not even aware of.”