Fresh controversy has engulfed the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) as workers threatened to embark on industrial action over the planned re-engagement of four retired and retiring officers on contract appointments, alleging that the exercise violates the Public Service Rules (PSR) and sidesteps established administrative procedures.
The dispute, which has heightened tensions within the Council, comes against the backdrop of earlier allegations of financial misconduct, administrative irregularities and abuse of office levelled against the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Council, Mrs. Nonye Ayeni, in a petition reportedly submitted to anti-corruption agencies by some members of staff.
Sources within the Council told our correspondent that the latest controversy began after reports emerged that Mrs. Ayeni had allegedly secured the approval of the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment to re-engage four officers who have either retired or are due to retire from service.
The officers are Mr. Benjamin Chima Achor, a Chief Trade Officer who retired in June 2026; Mr. Ala I. Onoja, a Deputy Director; Mr. Sunday Ayodele Emmanuel, an Assistant Director; and Mr. Nzeh P. Njokwu, a Deputy Director expected to retire in August 2026.
Although the reports initially circulated as rumours, staff members claimed they were later confirmed by the NEPC chief during a management meeting, triggering widespread opposition across the organisation.
Employees accused the management of attempting to bypass due process by selecting the officers without the knowledge or approval of the Council’s Senior Staff Committee, which ordinarily considers contract appointments under the Public Service Rules.
Several workers, who spoke anonymously because they were not authorised to comment publicly, described the planned appointments as unfair and capable of undermining the morale and career progression of serving officers.
“Our objection is not about the individuals but about the process,” one staff member said.
“The Public Service Rules are very clear on contract appointments. There are laid-down procedures, but none of them appears to have been followed.”
The staff further alleged that Mrs. Ayeni warned management officials that she could redeploy directors and other civil servants into the Council if opposition to the appointments continued, a development they said further heightened anxiety within the agency.
According to the aggrieved employees, the Public Service Rules require that contract appointments be justified by the absence of specialised skills within the service, linked to funded projects with defined timelines, subjected to open advertisement and competitive selection, and approved through the appropriate administrative structures, including the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
Workers alleged that none of these conditions had been met.
They claimed there was no advertisement of the positions, no evidence of any waiver from the Head of the Civil Service, no competitive recruitment process and no indication that the officers possessed skills unavailable among existing staff.
The controversy has also fuelled allegations of favouritism, with some employees claiming that the officers selected for re-engagement were close associates of the Executive Director during their years in service.
One of the officers, Mr. Benjamin Chima Achor, was cited by some workers as having wielded significant influence before his retirement.
They also alleged that questions had arisen over the timing of his retirement before he eventually left the Council in June.
A management source familiar with the matter argued that contract appointments should be considered through the Council’s Senior Staff Committee, which comprises representatives of the Federal Civil Service Commission, the Office of the Head of the Civil Service and the supervising ministry.
The source alleged that bypassing that process could undermine institutional governance and accountability.
Meanwhile, a retired senior official of the Federal Civil Service Commission reportedly cautioned that re-engaging retired officers into the same organisation without transparent justification could create disaffection among serving workers and expose weaknesses in succession planning.
As of the time of filing this report, staff members maintained that they were prepared to resist the planned appointments unless the process was reviewed in line with the Public Service Rules.
The NEPC management had not publicly responded to the allegations at the time of this report.
The claims by staff remain allegations and have not been independently verified.
