Some aggrieved employees of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) have accused the telecommunications regulator of violating the federal character principle in its recent promotion exercise.
According to a report by TheCable, these employees have submitted petitions to the National Assembly, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC), and the Federal Character Commission (FCC).
They alleged that the NCC, under the leadership of Executive Vice Chairman Aminu Maida, has engaged in “flagrant noncompliance” with Sections 14(3) and 14(4) of the Nigerian Constitution, which pertain to federal character and equitable representation in public institutions.
However, the NCC stated that no laws were broken during the exercise.
The “concerned staff” claimed that there are “verifiable internal records and the promotion outcomes that clearly demonstrate that the 2025 staff promotion exercise conducted by the NCC did not reflect a fair and equitable distribution of promotional opportunities across Nigeria’s states and geo-political zones.”
“Certain states and zones have been either grossly underrepresented or entirely excluded, while others are overrepresented, leading to an unconstitutional imbalance that undermines national unity and equity,” they alleged in the petition.
“While merit remains a primary criterion for promotion, the Federal Character principle requires that the selection process also considers factors like regional representation and ethnicity to ensure a balanced workforce,” the petition reads.
Citing “credible information,” the petitioners insisted that the promotion exercise violated constitutional provisions by disregarding equitable representation, resulting in the marginalisation of qualified staff from various parts of the country.
They claimed that, for promotion from Assistant Director to Deputy Director, 24 staff members were qualified, but only nine were promoted.
“Eight (8) out of the nine (9) staff promoted are from the Northern Region of the country and only one from the Southern Region (South-West), despite the fact that there are candidates from other geopolitical zones who scored above the 60% pass-mark stipulated in the 2021 Public Service Rules. The South-South and South-East geopolitical regions were conspicuously omitted and short-changed in the promotion exercise,” they alleged.
The petitioners also stated that for promotion from Deputy Director to Director, four staff members were eligible, but only two were promoted.
“One staff from the South-South and one from the North-East Region were promoted. However, two (2) candidates — one from the North-West and one from the North-East — were not promoted despite the fact that there is vacancy in their respective geopolitical zones and (they) scored above the 60% pass-mark stipulated in the 2021 Public Service Rules. The North-West was clearly omitted and short-changed in the promotion exercise,” they alleged.
They further criticized the promotions of Assistant Directors and Principal Managers, claiming they also failed to adhere to civil service regulations.
“It is pertinent to mention that the promotion interview was conducted in the most inhuman conditions and during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and the Christian fasting season of Lent,” the petition reads.
“Staff were forced to write exams outside the normal working hours, from 9.00 AM on Thursday, 6th March 2025 to 4.00 AM the next day, Friday, 7th March 2025, which grossly undermines the credibility of the process.”
The petitioners said the commission’s Human Capital Department later issued an apology.
“The commission, through its director of the human capital department, issued an unreserved apology letter via email to staff for the horrible and deplorable conditions that the exams were conducted,” they said.
“It is appalling to note that a commission that prides itself as a world-class organisation could use a lottery system (game of chance) in determining and assessing staff for promotion.”
“Staff were made to select questions from a basket by lucky-dip and answer the questions.”
According to them, the unconventional methods and lack of transparency have led to a decline in staff morale and overall institutional performance.
They also called on Esther Walson-Jack, Head of the Civil Service, to direct the NCC to immediately correct the alleged anomalies in the distribution of promotional opportunities in line with constitutional mandates.
Additionally, they requested that the commission be ordered to develop and submit a compliance report outlining how it intends to uphold principles of equity and fair representation in future recruitment, appointment, and promotion exercises.
Responding to the allegations, Nnenna Kalu, Head of Corporate Communications at NCC, defended the integrity of the promotion process.
She said that the promotion examinations were conducted for all eligible cadres and were guided by the agency’s commitment to integrity, fairness, and the industry’s needs for competent professionals.
“In line with the Public Service Rules, the Commission’s organizational structure and manpower plan, each cadre had a defined number of vacancies, representing the number of personnel the Commission could accommodate at each level,” Kalu said in a statement.
“Staff who did not meet the required cut-off, or who passed but for whom vacancies were no longer available at their cadre, could not be promoted.”
“Furthermore, the interview panels for staff were composed of credible management staff (drawn from each of the six (6) Geo-Political Zones), in addition to independent external members and representatives from the Federal Character Commission (FCC), who were present to provide oversight and ensure compliance with applicable regulations.”
She emphasized that the promotion process followed a clear and objective scoring system, which was communicated to all participants ahead of the exams.
Kalu added that the panel adhered strictly to the commission’s established scoring framework, with no arbitrary decisions made.
Since the exercise concluded, all participants have reportedly received performance summaries to help them prepare for future opportunities. Staff were also encouraged to reach out to the Human Capital Department to voice any concerns.
