From vote buying to job racketeering: A nation in delusion, By Zainab Suleiman Okino

Nigeria has always been about influence peddling, nepotism and favourotism, with an insignificant mix of tokenism, which the authorities brandish to prove the point that merit matters. However, in the last eight years of the Buhari presidency, even that infinitesimal proportion (of tokenism) was supplanted by the influence of more money to buy jobs.

Hence all available jobs at MDAs and even key political appointments were offered and bought at the highest bidders. It was an open secret. It became a topic for discussion at elite gatherings and relaxation spots. It was public knowledge that those close to power were buying big jobs and those in the middle were buying civil service jobs.

Now we hear that even ministerial slots are paid for. So, an issue that used to be discussed in hushed voices over the years blew open with reckless abandon. Because it is illegal, illegitimate and morally reprehensible, but quite ubiquitous, it has recently jolted the nation when it became a matter of investigation at the National Assembly.

To show how widespread it was, some greedy unsuspecting individuals fell victims of the appointment sellers’ antics, sadly. As a matter of fact, I did experience this brazen antic in 2019 during Buhari’s second term in office at a time ministerial positions and other appointments were being considered. Somebody impersonated the former SGF, Boss Mustapha and reached out to me. Typically, one called me and told me to hold on and speak to the SGF. He said they had seen my CV and were convinced that joining the administration would give it added credibility.

Just imagine! A poor journalist like me, who is non-partisan, non-aligned and did not participate in the electioneering campaigns. I knew he was a scammer but played along all the same. Anyway, the back and forth continued until he mentioned money. He started with 5 million Naira and came down to 500,000 Naira to serve as deposit. A whole SGF! When I wasn’t forthcoming and didn’t show any excitement, he saw through it, got angry over my “unseriousness” and stopped calling. Many, who are not as discerning as I’m and probably have the money might have fallen victim to this money game.

Still, the level of desperation arising from unemployment can compel some to pay for jobs. There is virtually no home that does not harbour unemployed graduates who are hopeless, hapless and helpless. For those who can afford it, paying one million or two for jobs could be a permanent solution to their jobless status. Therefore, I totally understand the situations of the young graduates that paid for jobs at the FCC.

The issue has become divisive and controversial between the FCC chairman, Muheeba Dankaka and her former aide Haruna Kolo, and with the victims serving as witnesses. The revelations so far, might just be tips of the icebag, considering the information many Nigerians have at their disposal. Besides, the concern is how children of the poor are expected to fare in an atmosphere of monetization of politics, appointments, jobs.

Yet the people selling jobs today went to school almost free of charge and joined the public service with ease. What a contradiction! I know integrity means nothing to the average Nigerian politician, but the public servants have since joined in this show of shame. From the sad and depressing reality of vote buying and nepotism came the enraging matter of paying for jobs.

Under Hon. Yusuf Gadgi, Chairman of Ad Hoc Committee Investigating Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), on Mismanagement of Personnel Recruitment, IPPIS and Employment Racketeering, whose statement prompted this write-up, the lawmaker noted that the job market at MDAs has made it impossible for the children of the poor to get jobs. “The common man is denied opportunity to get employment into MDAs through the use (abuse) of waivers. Should you be granted a waiver to employ, consider the injustice meted out to other states and address them so that there will be a sort of balance in terms of representation in that agency. We’ll compel you to advertise those slots so that the son of nobody will have the opportunity to apply. Perhaps, you’ll see him with a first class, and you’ll see his performance during his interview to be super and then, you’ll recruit him in order to have the best in those agencies”, he admonished, when the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) appeared before his committee. Even without this advice, the public service rule say all such vacancies should be advertised.

Meanwhile, in the ongoing bribery probe, most of the agencies invited by the Gadgi Ad Hoc Committee to appear simply refused to show up. Although the Committee chair condemned the attitude of these agencies, he has no power of enforcement to compel them. “We have made our position very clear, and we have resolved to further communicate through newspaper communications … for these agencies to make sure they appear before this committee. And we are going to give the agencies the last warning… and so on and so forth. How else do you gradually kill a nation where impunity and mediocrity walk hand in gloves.

The National Assembly can do their probes; they can even issue a warrant of arrest, as they did on middleman Haruna Kolo in the FCC probe. They can take newspaper adverts to compel agencies ‘indicted’ to appear before it. Anti-graft groups will protest, but in the end, nothing will happen. Even when those agencies show up and defend themselves, and whether they are guilty or not, the question is: who will enforce the resolutions of the probe panels? All the people involved would take a cue from such past efforts that amounted to nothing and move on with their lives as if nothing ever happened.

After Gadgi revealed that 35 agencies defied or snubbed his probe committee, all he could muster sheepishly was, “most of these agencies are not respectful of constituted authority. We are supposed to have the presence of 40 agencies but only four are here.” The lawmakers are powerless because they too are not clean and lack political legitimacy too.

Such malfeasances such as impunity, corruption and now job racketeering have always gone unpunished. Very soon this probe report will begin to gather dust on the shelves and subsequently die a natural death. If things continue like this, where lies the hope for the common man?

Zainab Suleiman Okino chairs the Editorial Board of Blueprint Newspapers. She can be reached via: [email protected]