Nigerian Army, Lawmakers Clash Over Lopsided Recruitment Exercise
- Two lawmakers of the Nigerian Senate staged a walk-out session following a heated argument over an alleged lopsided recruitment process within the Army
- The Senators also accused the chairman of the Senate Committee on the Army, Abba Moro, of being autocratic in handling the inquiry made over the Army recruitment process
- Allegations by the lawmakers followed an out of order ruling by Senator Moro in response to an inquiry made by his colleagues on the conduct of recruitment by the Army
There was a heated argument between lawmakers of the Ninth Senate and some personnel of the Nigerian Army over the conduct of the institution in its recruitment process.
Leadership reports that the senators engaged in a verbal way with the Army personnel during its committee meeting on Tuesday, November 30.
Source: Facebook
The meeting which was an interactive session had in attendance, members of the committee on the Army and the commander for training and doctrine command of the Nigerian Army, Major General S. O Olabanji.
At the meeting, Senator Abdullahi Danbaba who is the deputy minority whip of the Senate and doubles as a member of the Senate Committee on the Army accused Olabanji of an ongoing lopsided recruitment process in the institution.
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ThisDay reports that the chairman of the committee, Abba Moro, representing Benue south senatorial district ruled Danbaba out of order.
Moro in his ruling said the ongoing meeting was not intended for inquiries on the recruitment process in the Army.
However, taken aback and angered by the chairman's ruling, the lawmaker representing Rivers southeast senatorial district, Barinada Mpigi, raised the issue again.
Mpigi said allegations of lopsided recruitment exercise by the Nigerian Army is not a minor issue to put aside or ruled against.
On Mpigi outrage, Senator Moro again ruled against the probe.
The committee chairman insists on focusing on tactical training and doctrine of Army officers
He insisted that the session was not intended for a review of the recruitment exercise conducted by the Nigerian Army but on tactical training and doctrine of officers of the institution.
Moro said:
“The questions being raised by my colleagues on alleged lopsided recruitments are being thrown to the wrong person."
He added that the inquiry on recruitment should be thrown to the chief of army staff.
The angered lawmakers stage a walk-out
Following the resistance by Senator Moro on the inquiry of the recruitment process, the lawmakers - Danbaba and Mpigi - stormed out of the meeting in anger.
Further speaking to reporters after the duo's exit from the meeting, Danbaba said he staged a walkout with his colleague, Mpigi because Senator Moro was being dictatorial at the session.
Senate expose secret recruitment in Federal Civil Service Commission
Meanwhile, lawmakers of the Senate on Wednesday, November 24, announced that they have noticed ongoing secret recruitment within the Federal Civil Service Commission.
The lawmakers said the employment process was going on despite an unconfirmed embargo on recruitment by the federal government.
The senators also alleged that the officials are hiding under the cloak of an imaginary embargo on employment to secretly employ their candidates of choice into juicy offices.
Job seekers lament sale of employment forms in Taraba state officials
In other news, job seekers in Taraba state have condemned the sale of employment forms by some authorities in the state.
Stakeholders in the state say the move is unacceptable and should be stopped immediately by the government.
In addition, some labour leaders in the state have also intervened asking the government to put a halt to the exercise.
Source: Legit.ng
