Society Gists

The immediate former Commandant General of the National Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Dr. Abolurin and the former Minister for Interior, Abba Morro have both been fingered in promotion scam.

Former Minister of Interior, Abba Morro
Morro, who is facing corruption charges at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, is being increasingly monitored following revelations that the recruitment and promotion examinations conducted by NSCDC during his tenure, did not follow due process in promoting and recruiting some of the staffs.

The revelation came amidst agitation by some staffs who felt aggrieved that their juniors have rose above them after so many years in the service.

Reliable sources in Abuja confirmed to SocietyGists that the above promotion list of NSCDC signed by the ex- Minister of Interior, Abba Morro , and Ex-Commandant General of Civil Defence did not reflect the true list of the promotion examinations’ list. It was gathered that those on the false list were only cronies of the past Commandant General who ordinarily are not lettered enough to pass the competitive examinations.

Our correspondent in Nigeria gathered that the examination itself was marked by Ex-CGs cronies and under his supervision. Also gathered was that the two helmsmen bluntly refused to involve the Board of Directors of the ministry because the exercise was done in shoddy and tribal grounds. “These two Allies, Abba Morro and Dr. Abolurin, didn’t involve the Board Director of that ministry in their clandestine operations”, our source who pleaded anonymity for fear of victimization revealed.

According to our investigation, a particular Board Director, who has the authentic list, was alleged to have refused to sign the one the ex-Minister and his pal in crime, the ex-CG of NSCDC compiled. “So if President Muhammadu Buhari wants the authentic list, he should ask the Board Directors to produce it”, our source said.

Recall that early in July, 2015, the NSCDC was enmeshed in a messy ‘promotion for –sale scam’ which rocked the Corps.

Some unsettled staffs who declined to make their names public because of being intimidated by the organization revealed that the last promotion at the NSCDC rocked the Corps; alleging that some of the officers who felt aggrieved have petitioned the office of the Head of Service, but have restrained from pushing further because the present government is yet to settle down.

Now that things have started taking shape, the new service Chief has dusted the files and the duo of Abolurin and Abba Moro are now under pressure to defend themselves. According to the officers, without due process, over 200 officers, who are loyalists to the Ex-Commandant General of the NSCDC, Abolurin were specially promoted even when academically they are unqualified.

The officers said when they took the case to the former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, in their petition to the presidency, Dr Ade Abolurin was asked to submit the promotion list of his officers. It was gathered that the NSCDC boss quickly rushed the entire corps through promotion examinations with the bid to implant his secret list into the examination list. However, after the general promotion examinations, one thing allegedly led to another and the lists were substituted with the general list on the computers. Those who scale true were those said to be closer to the Commandant General and other officers’ names were short-changed.

According to the officers, some of the civil servants in the board were angry with the whole process and are giving out information on this. Mostly officers who were listed for retirement since four years ago were re-absorbed and their names were implanted before promoting them to another level. Favourite staffs and officers who are on levels 03′ and 04 were favored to be going on foreign course and further studies, while more and better productive officers who should go for these courses are left to rot.

“Courses that are offered in Nigerian universities are ignored and his loyalists are sent abroad with pay to read those courses”, the officers cried out.

It was gathered that some of the loyalists close to the boss, were sent to Geneva as permanent representatives for NSCDC without due process. The aggrieved officers claimed that junior officers were asked to pay over N20, 000 for promotion. His loyalists were alleged to have collected over N200, 000 to promote senior officers to commandant cadres. In the Lagos State Command of NSCDC, it was gathered that no superintendent Cadre was promoted and all its slots were given to Ogun State Command, where Commandant General’s loyalists abound. The two or three officers who got promoted in Lagos Command didn’t get it from Lagos command but their names appeared in other commands where they are not serving.

“Let President Buhari cancel the whole promotion because it is filled with fraudulent acts, which are one of the things unfortunate officers and men have been suffering under this man for the 11 years, he ruled this corps.

“He has more than 16 Commandants and more than 50 Deputy Commandants in his home state, while in other states it is greatly few or nothing. He has refused to recognize federal character or quota system. As I’m talking to you now, he messed everything about the promotion exams and conversion inspectorate cadre superintendent.”

According to the aggrieved officers, when the Board of interior asked for all its agencies to submit their nominal rolls for scrutiny before the promotion exams, prison services, immigration services and fire services submitted theirs but our NSCDC BOSS purposely delayed submitting the nominal roll of our organization because of his ulterior motives for almost eight months. Even when he finally submitted it there were lots of hidden agenda. In the list he submitted, DC rank (deputy commandant ranks) has only 28 vacancies, while commandant has about 40 vacancies and others.

“But Oga on top prevailed on the board directors and the DC ranks vacancy came out with 50 people, where did these vacancies come from?”, our source queried.

Most of these ranks are assigned to people from a particular state and tribe, mainly from Ogun State. The Assistant commandant General Administration (ACG Admin) of NSCDC by name Isimi, her Personal Assistant, Board directors’ Personal Assistant, etc are all in this rank racketeering deal under the watchful eyes of Commandant General of the corps, who does things with impunity.

It was further gathered that junior ranks allegedly pay Isimi to buy ranks from her. From deputy commandant (DC) ranks (level 14) to commandant ranks is a hot cake and were sold at the national headquarters of the then ‘oga on top’ organization”. It was equally learned that as at then, it was between N250, 000 to N300, 000. These ranks later went up to N450, 000 while commandant ranks sell beyond N1, 000, 000.

Intelligence report has it that ‘Oga on top’ bought the ranks at wholesale price from some of the board of directors of the Interior Ministry and retails to low price to his preferred staff members while selling to those who are not in his kitchen cabinet at cut throat prices.