APC Accuses The President Jonathan's Administration Of 'Last Minute Dubious Activities''

In a statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party has accused the out-going President Jonathan administration of last minute dubious activities, threatening to probe all actions of his government after the March 28 elections. The APC alleged that reports from the media as well as information gathered from reliable sources suggest the current administration is engaging in rushed contract awarding and staff recruitment. The statement read,

"For example, the National Council on Privatisation, which is headed by the Vice-President, has just approved the financial bid opening for transaction advisers for the privatisation of the three development finance institutions in the country – the Bank of Agriculture, Bank of Industry and Nigeria Commodity Exchange. The question is: What is the rationale for rushing this exercise with just weeks left for this administration? 

"Also, there have been reports, not refuted, of a planned hurried recruitment into the Nigeria Immigration Service, after a previous attempt ended in a national tragedy and the fleecing of innocent job seekers by mindless Federal Government officials. Apart from the fact that this last-minute recruitment is suspect, it is irregular.  

"The Civil Defence, Fire, Immigration and Prisons Services Board is only empowered to recruit, promote and discipline only senior officers (levels eight and above). The power to recruit, promote and discipline junior officers is vested in the different services, in this case the Nigeria Immigration Service.  

"Therefore, the recruitment exercise now being conducted by the federal civil service under the auspices of the Presidential Committee to Assist on Immigration Recruitment usurps the functions of the board as it relates to the recruitment of Senior Officers (level 08) and that of the immigration service as it relates to Junior Officers (levels 07 and below).”  

"The party also called the attention of Jonathan to a published report that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Senator Bala Mohammed, plans to use the Federal Capital Development Authority to carry out a secret employment of no fewer than 500 workers before the end of the month. 

"We do not know if this report, as well as others, is true. But if indeed these rushed privatisation and hurried recruitment exercises – in the twilight of the Jonathan administration – are true, they raise serious questions concerning the reasons behind such actions.

The APC urged Jonathan to call his officials to order in order to save him of embarrassment. It said it was such recklessness that led to the downfall of Jonathan’s administration and it would be unfair to bequeath such to the Buhari administration.

"We are therefore compelled to call on President Jonathan to call his officials to order, lest they engage in actions that can later embarrass his administration."