Staff and stakeholders of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) have called for an investigation into alleged violations of established civil service procedures by the Executive Director, Nonye Ayeni, ahead of the Council’s 2025 promotion exercise scheduled for this week.
The aggrieved staff also accused the director of disregarding the Public Service Rules (PSR), among other infractions.
However, the Council’s management has described the allegations as misinformation and a misinterpretation of how promotion examinations are conducted within the civil service.
The NEPC further debunked claims of any breach of civil service rules in the upcoming promotion examinations.
According to documents made available to journalists in Ilorin, Kwara State, the aggrieved staff alleged that Ayeni appointed unqualified individuals to senior positions and redeployed others to roles outside their fields of competence.
“There is a growing sense that Mrs. Ayeni discards federal circulars and acts as if she embodies the powers of the Head of Service, the Federal Civil Service Commission, and the National Council on Establishments combined,” they claimed.
They further alleged that her conduct undermines meritocracy and weakens staff morale.
Their concerns, raised just before the three-day NEPC 2025 Promotion Exercise (scheduled from July 9 to 11, 2025), are aimed at preventing what they described as further abuse of office by the Executive Director.
According to the group, the recently released promotion list has caused tension, anxiety, and outrage among staff due to the inclusion of certain officers reportedly disqualified by existing federal circulars from participating in the exercise.
They cited the Circular on Use of Only Academic Qualifications for Entry into the Civil/Public Service, with reference No. HCSF/SPsO/ODD/NCE/CND.100/S.10/111/104, dated 12th April 2021, which stipulates that only academic qualifications, and not professional certifications, shall be used for entry or advancement in the Public Service.
Meanwhile, the NEPC has refuted these claims, reiterating that there has been no violation of civil service procedures.
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It described the allegations as “egregious and blatant misinformation and a poor understanding of how promotion examinations are conducted in the civil service.”
In a statement issued by the Director of Policy and Strategy at NEPC, Lawal Shehu Dalhat, it was noted that “one person, ED/CEO cannot unilaterally promote staff.”
The Director emphasised that, “To put things in context, last year, 74 members of staff of the Council sat for promotion examinations from 3–4 April, 2024, which ran all day up until past midnight. Forty-nine passed and were promoted.
“It was adjudged free, fair and without irregularities and bias. The success of that exercise, which was not disputed by a member of staff or management, was a clear demonstration of Ayeni’s attention to detail, strict adherence to extant civil service rules, and her long experience as a past Head of Human Resources at Zenith Bank Plc, a fact many people at the Council were not even aware of.”
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