The whistleblower also accused the NBC management of discrimination against some staff members and carrying out illegality during the last 2023 conducted promotion exercise.
A concerned Nigerian citizen has written to the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), lamenting corruption and abuse of office by the management and some staff members of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC).
The whistleblower also accused the NBC management of discrimination against some staff members and carrying out illegality during the last 2023 conducted promotion exercise.
The concerned citizen, thereby, called on the ICPC to investigate, review and sanction those responsible for the misconduct.
According to the source, a woman identified as Ms. Kaltumi Giwa, who had been disqualified for her inability to fulfill the necessary criteria for the NBC promotion exercise, was later smuggled into the examination hall and allowed to partake in the exercise conducted on October 5 and 6, 2023 at the State House Auditorium.
The whistleblower disclosed that this was done “despite her ineligibility to sit the examination and the nonviolent resistance demonstrated by the eligible staff in attendance for the examination”.
In their letter to the ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, dated May 26, 2024, the whistleblower said, “Ms Kaltumi Giwa had earlier been screened out by the Senior Staff Promotion Committee together with other staff such as Cecilia Ekle, Kabiru Mohammed, Russel Kerewi, Mrs Nkechi Stella Nnamdi and Mr Frances Igbanoi Agande, were also screened out from partaking the promotion exam slated for the 5th & 6th of October, 2023.
“Prior to the examination and after the screening exercise by the Senior Staff Promotion Committee, the Committee published the list of names of the eligible staff who were qualified based on several criteria’s as stipulated in the Civil Service Rules and numerous circulars issued from time to time by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.”
The source attached a copy of the list of the names of eligible NBC staff member cleared to partake in the exercise to the letter. In the list obtained by SaharaReporters, the name of Ms Kaltumi Giwa is missing.
According to the concerned Nigerian, Ms Giwa’s name is missing on the list “because she was not cleared to take part in the promotion exercise to Grade Level 15 in her chosen field and department of Engineering”.
The source said, “In the case of Ms Kaltumi Giwa who was smuggled into the examination hall, she was disqualified by the Senior Staff Promotion Commission due to the salient and clear directives of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation in two circulars issued on 21st November 2022 in RE: HCSF/SPSO/ODD/E&WT/649614 and another circular of 12th April 2021 RE:HCSF/SPSO/ODD/NCE/CND.100/
“The two in circulars mandated that persons/ officers who are professionals in the fields of Accounting and Engineering, who only possess Higher National Diploma with a Post Graduate Diploma alongside any professional certificate, must provide a Master’s Degree in Accounting and Engineering before such staff or officers can progress to the Director Cadre.
“This was the reason Cecilia Ekle, Kabiru Mohammed, Russel Kerewi, Mrs Nkechi Stella Nnamdi and Mr Frances Igbanoi Agande were all disqualified from partaking in the promotion examination to the Director cadre in the first place. But only Ms Kaltumi Giwa was smuggled in and allowed into the examination all, leaving out all other persons who were also not qualified for the same cause.
“It is clear that Ms Kaltumi Giwa does not possess the required Master’s Degree in Engineering and that was the reason for her disqualification by the Senior Staff Promotion committee at the initial stage. Therefore, what is the reason for allowing only Ms Kaltumi Giwa who is not qualified to write the examination leaving out other persons?
“This is a clear case of discrimination, abuse of office by the management staff of NBC particularly the Director of Human Resources and Administration especially when the Senior Staff Promotion Committee had legally disqualified her.”
The whistleblower also attached the two circulars to the letter for the ICPC chairman’s perusal.
“The instruction in the circulars are unambiguous and does not leave room for misinformation which is why Cecilia Ekle, Kabiru Mohammed, Russel Kerewi, Mrs Nkechi Stella Nnamdi and Mr Frances Igbanoi Agande were all disqualified,” the source said.
“But the promotion of Ms Kaltumi Giwa from being legally disqualified staff and subsequently unlawfully allowed to partake in the promotion exercise is the reason for the request in this letter and investigation.”
The concerned Nigerian urged Aliyu to “use the authority of your good office to investigate this clear abuse of office, discrimination and the illegal act by the management of the National Broadcasting Commission by allowing Ms Kaltumi Giwa to write the promotion exercise on 5th & 6th October 2023 when she was not eligible and disqualified”.
The whistleblower said promoting Ms. Giwa while at the same time disqualifying other staff members namely Cecilia Ekle, Kabiru Mohammed, Russel Kerewi, Mrs Nkechi Stella Nnamdi and Mr Frances Igbanoi Agande is the “highest form of corruption in the NBC”.
“I am aware that Ms Kaltumi Giwa has been promoted and the other staff stagnated in their earlier cadre,” the source said.
“This injustice is great and offends the foundation of equality guaranteed by the Constitution of Nigeria which is supposed to guide all Nigerians.”
Ms. Giwa’s pay slip attached to the letter shows she has been promoted to Grade Level 15 Step 2. Her designation reads: Assistant Director, Engineering.
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Ineligible NBC Employee Sneaked Into Promotion Exam Hall, Later Promoted; Whistleblower Petitions Nigeria’s ICPC For Corruption Probe – Sahara Reporters
