Recruitment Corruption: Govt Jobs Difficult For The Poor, Secured For The Rich - Nigerians Cry Out

Human Resource Consultant, Dr. Franklyn Akinyosoye, stakeholders and other Nigerians have decried the pervasive and overwhelming corruption in recruitment of Nigerians into public service.

Akinyosoye led the lamentation during a special radio town hall meeting against corruption, organized by Progressive Impact Organization for Community Development, PRIMORG, with the support of MacArthur Foundation Friday in Abuja.

Akinyosoye stated that corruption in the recruitment of civil servants in Nigeria dates back to a very long time, stressing that what majorly constitutes corruption is when people decide to employ their brothers and sisters, instead of carrying out the actual process of recruitment.

“As a human resource expert, when you want to recruit, you come up with what you call a job description. What you are doing there is to say this person is supposed to have maybe five years’ experience, should be 30 years old, with degrees, soft skills, and so on. But when you begin to put in such a space somebody with two years’ experience instead of what is required, it is an infraction and you have caused trouble in that particular process.

“I have seen situations where people who don’t even have the qualification are made to lead people who have experience in this country,” Akinyosoye averred.

He added that corruption in the recruitment process is adversely affecting Nigeria’s economy and remains the main reason for over bloated but less productive civil service.

A legal practitioner, Chris Moneke on his part stated that buying and selling of government jobs is illegal and truncates civil service rules.

Asked why perpetrators of corruption in the recruitment process in public service are not brought to book, Moneke said, “people who pass through this don’t come out to complain, citizens who pay for jobs lack courage to report their ordeal to constituted authorities.

While, Public Affairs Analyst, Chief Chidozie Eze submitted that it is very difficult for ordinary Nigerians to secure a job in government offices. According to Eze, jobs in government ministries, departments and agencies are shared among children and relatives of the elites.

Towing the same line, Representative of Accountability Lab Nigeria, Prince Chimaraoke Chukwuka lauded PRIMORG and his organization for their effort in campaigning against corruption. He, however, blamed citizens for not challenging the system enough, while stressing that Nigeria’s educational system encourages current levels of corruption in the recruitment process.

Earlier, celebrated 2020 Integrity Icon designate, Phillip Ezegbulam revealed that his mother contributed immensely to him becoming a person of integrity. Ezegbulam said that his lifestyle has affected people around him and vowed to remain a man of integrity until death.

The PRIMORG’s Town Hall Meeting Against Corruption series is aimed at calling the public and government attention to specific issues of corruption in Nigeria.