Nigerian Export Promotion Council Staff Accuse Boss, Nonye Ayeni, Of Nepotism, Abuse Of Office, Replacing Qualified Officers With Cronies

The Executive Director of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Nonye Ayeni, has been accused of abusing her office by unlawfully removing a procurement officer from his professional post to pave the way for an individual from her tribal group, who allegedly lacks the required qualifications.

According to multiple sources who spoke to SaharaReporters, Mr. Rilwanu Salisu Kallamu, a certified procurement officer employed in 2019 and posted to the Procurement Unit, was wrongfully redeployed from his position.

‘Procurement Officer Removed to Favour Unqualified Tribal Ally’

His removal, the sources allege, was orchestrated to allow a non-procurement officer of the same ethnic group as Mrs. Ayeni to assume control of the procurement unit.

Sources told SaharaReporters that Mrs. Ayeni paved the way for Kenneth Ezeagu, who is from the same tribe as her, to replace Rilwan and David Sharpe'ter Yarkwan, who are of Hausa and Tiv extraction respectively.

"Mrs. Nonye Ayeni and Kenneth are both Igbo. He has become her eyes in the department. She deliberately placed him there, removing the qualified officers in violation of the Public Service Rules."

Sources further alleged that Mrs. Ayeni has consistently engaged in wrongful posting and transfer of staff, in clear violation of the Public Service Rules (PSR). One insider described her style of deployment as “a tool of intimidation, coercion, and forced submission.”

"Any officer who expresses dissenting views or refuses to comply with her directives is immediately marked for transfer," one of the sources said. "These transfers are often carried out in disregard of the Public Service Rules."

Public Service Rule 020602 explicitly states: "All senior staff can be posted and/or redeployed to new posts in accordance with the approved Employee Mobility Policy."

However, NEPC currently lacks such a mobility policy, giving rise to arbitrary and discretionary transfers allegedly directed by Mrs. Ayeni.

A copy of the Federal Government’s Public Service Rules obtained by SaharaReporters also states that the posting of officers to positions outside their professional cadres is prohibited.

In line with Rule 020602, the rules emphasise: All senior staff may be posted in accordance with an approved mobility policy.

"Posting officers outside their professional cadre is prohibited. Pool officers are to be mandatorily reposted after every four years.”

One of the cases cited by insiders involved Mr. Kallamu, who was posted last year to Port Harcourt as a Trade Promotion Officer — a role outside his professional expertise.

Despite appealing the decision, he was instead redeployed to NEPC’s Lokoja office, where he currently serves. The move has sparked criticism within the Council, with staff alleging that it was a strategic action to remove him and install a non-qualified officer from Mrs. Ayeni’s ethnic group in his place.

One of the sources explained that Mr. Kallamu’s posting was not only inappropriate but also unlawful, as it was carried out contrary to the provisions of the Public Service Rules (PSR), which state that “posting of officers to posts outside their professional cadres is prohibited” (PSR 02060 (ii)).

Furthermore, the rules emphasise that “posting should not result in the loss of institutional memory in any department, division, or unit (PSR 020603)”.

"Mr. Rilwanu Kallamu was posted out of the Procurement Unit despite the fact that there is no certified procurement officer remaining in the unit. All officers currently in the unit are non-procurement officers, which is against the Procurement Act and existing service circulars," the source added.

Another source told SaharaReporters that in 2024, Mr. Yarkwan was also transferred out of the Procurement Unit on the same day as Mr. Kallamu.

According to the source, this move was made to properly position the Executive Director’s cronies and tribal affiliates in the Procurement Unit.

Mr. Yarkwan was redeployed to Yola—a distant location. The posting was perceived as punitive and vindictive, considering the officer had spent less than one year in Abuja, having only recently been transferred from Jos.

This action, the source argued, violates the Public Service Rules, which state that postings should be carried out “to ensure that the system is not used as a tool for coercion, punishment, or cronyism” (PSR 020603).

A source alleged that in 2024, NEPC Executive Director Mrs. Ayeni unilaterally expanded the agency’s departments without approval from the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment or the Head of Civil Service.

The source added that Mrs. Ayeni constantly monitored Mr. Yarkwan in Yola, issued him queries, and summoned him before the Senior Staff Committee, requiring a response within 72 hours.

The officer, overwhelmed by fear and harassment, resigned abruptly. The source described the situation as intimidation and an unauthorised restructuring of the organisation, driven by personal interests rather than proper administrative procedures.

“The Public Service Rules (PSR) 170103 clearly state that the organisational structure of a parastatal must be approved by the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation on the recommendation of the NEPC Governing Board or the supervising minister,” one of the sources said.

The source further revealed that the number of directors was increased from eight to eleven.

“The justification given for the sudden increase was that three of the directors would be redeployed to head newly established regional offices,” the source said.

“However, no director has been posted to any regional office. Instead, a new department — the Solid Minerals Department — was created to accommodate the excess directors,” the source added.

The source told SaharaReporters that there was no approval from either the Head of Service or the Honourable Minister for the creation of the additional department.

“The newly created Department of Solid Minerals has only six staff: a Director, two Deputy Directors, and three others. A public office should not be run in this manner,” the source lamented.

Breach of the Procurement Act and Circulars

The source also disclosed that the procurement process at the Council is in complete disarray.

“Most contracts are awarded without a procurement plan, without a Procurement Planning Committee, and sometimes without a Tenders Board to give the necessary approvals. Some contracts are even approved above the stipulated threshold,” the source said.

“There is currently no Certified Procurement Officer in the Council. The entire procurement process is being handled by an unqualified officer. Procurement documents that are supposed to be signed by a certified Procurement Officer are being bypassed,” the source added.

The source identified the officer handling procurement as a non-procurement staff member on Salary Grade Level 12.

“He was previously an administrative staff member who assisted in the procurement unit but was found unfit for the role and was redeployed. Shockingly, he has now been returned to handle procurement activities,” the source alleged.

"Mrs. Ayeni recalled him and re-assigned him as Head of the Procurement Division. Meanwhile, other certified procurement officers who were redeployed from the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) to serve at the NEPC were frustrated out of the Council.

“Within one year, four certified procurement officers—three from the BPP and one from the NEPC—as well as one procurement intern, left the Procurement Unit either due to frustration and intimidation or were deliberately redeployed to make way for Mrs. Ayeni’s preferred candidates. In total, five officers were removed from the Procurement Unit within a year.”

According to a source, the procurement process currently being undertaken by the Council violates the Procurement Act and various circulars that prohibit officers from other cadres from handling procurement functions when certified procurement officers are available.

The source cited that, for example, a circular issued by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, referenced No. 59780/S.I/T.VI/17 and dated 14th June 2017, which states: “Only officers employed as procurement officers or converted to the procurement officer cadre are permitted to conduct procurement functions.”

However, contracts are now being awarded without a certified procurement officer overseeing the procurement process.

"Non-conversion of staff as at when due: Since 2024, many staff members have applied for conversion to various cadres without any response from management.

"Mrs. Ayeni has allegedly refused to convene the Senior Staff Committee (SSC) meeting to consider and approve the pending conversion cases.

"It is important to note that the last SSC meeting was held in April 2024. The failure to convert these officers has severely affected their career progression, as each of them has lost at least one year of seniority, thereby stalling their career growth,” the source explained.

Another source told SaharaReporters that Mr. Ayeni wrongfully terminated the secondment of one Madam Mary Jane Idemudia, a Deputy Director who was a pool officer seconded from the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation to the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) in November 2022.

She was seconded for a fixed term of two (2) years at the request of the Council. At the time of her secondment, she was serving at the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (FMITI).

The source stated that Mrs. Idemudia headed the Human Resources Division of the Council and was working diligently to sanitise the department.

However, plans for her removal were revealed just a few months after Mrs. Ayeni assumed office in October 2023. By February 2024, Mrs. Idemudia’s secondment was terminated, well before the expiration of her two-year tenure.

“Her written appeal and complaint against the premature termination of her secondment fell on deaf ears, as nothing was done about it. Mrs. Mary Jane’s (Idemudia) departure from the Council marked the beginning of administrative lapses and confusion within the organisation,” the source said.

“We now understand that her removal was intentional, aimed at clearing the way for certain deliberate actions. Coming from FMITI and the Office of the Head of Service, she was perceived as a threat due to her integrity and uncompromising stance on administrative matters.”

According to the source, once she was removed, non-administrative officers with no knowledge of Human Resources were posted to the HR Department. Since her exit, the Council has had no certified Human Resources officer.

“This has led to a disregard for service-wide rules and regulations, and has worsened the administrative lapses in the office. The HR Department now enforces only those rules sanctioned by Mrs. Ayeni and her close associates,” the source added.

Regarding the Mandatory Training Programme (MTP) for Chief Executive Officers of Federal Government Parastatals and Agencies held at ASCON from Monday, April 15 to Friday, April 26, 2024, the source revealed that Mrs. Ayeni refused to fully attend the training.

The training, backed by a presidential directive and SGF circular, was required for all newly appointed CEOs before assuming full office duties.

Despite receiving a two-week Duty Tour Allowance (DTA) for herself and her aide, Ayeni reportedly left after only a few days and has not refunded the unspent portion.

A source said her non-compliance reflects broader administrative lapses in her management of the Council. Staff accuse her of verbal abuse and autocratic tendencies.

Allegations include emotional outbursts, public humiliation of senior staff, and misuse of security privileges, such as reserving elevators for personal use.

Ayeni is also accused of refusing to delegate leadership duties during absences and of delaying critical decisions, which has caused operational paralysis.

Autocratic Leadership, Low Staff Morale

Her conduct, according to sources, has severely damaged morale at the NEPC, where she is reportedly operating with unchecked authority.

When SaharaReporters contacted the Executive Director of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Nonye Ayeni, she said, "I want to catch a flight now; you can call back in the next two hours."

However, all efforts to get her response were unsuccessful, as she did not answer subsequent calls made after the time she specified, nor on the following day.

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