Jonathan Should Not Engage in Activities That Will Embarrass His Administration – APC

All Progressives Congress has warned President Goodluck Jonathan not to engage in any dubious activities before May 29 Handover date.

The Party alleged that there has been sudden recruitment of individuals into public service and privatisation of financial institutions.

The APC, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed said ‘’For example, the National Council on Privatisation, which is headed by the Vice-President, has just approved the financial bid opening for transaction advisers for the privatisation of the three development finance institutions in the country – the Bank of Agriculture, Bank of Industry and Nigeria Commodity Exchange.

“The question is: What is the rationale for rushing this exercise with just weeks left for this administration?

“Also, there have been reports, not refuted, of a planned hurried recruitment into the Nigeria Immigration Service, after a previous attempt ended in a national tragedy and the fleecing of innocent job seekers by mindless Federal Government officials.

“Apart from the fact that this last-minute recruitment is suspect, it is irregular.

“The Civil Defence, Fire, Immigration and Prisons Services Board is only empowered to recruit, promote and discipline only senior officers (levels eight and above). The power to recruit, promote and discipline junior officers is vested in the different services, in this case the Nigeria Immigration Service.

“Therefore, the recruitment exercise now being conducted by the federal civil service under the auspices of the Presidential Committee to Assist on Immigration Recruitment usurps the functions of the board as it relates to the recruitment of Senior Officers (level 08) and that of the immigration service as it relates to Junior Officers (levels 07 and below).

“We do not know if this report, as well as others, is true. But if indeed these rushed privatisation and hurried recruitment exercises – in the twilight of the Jonathan administration – are true, they raise serious questions concerning the reasons behind such actions.

“We are therefore compelled to call on President Jonathan to call his officials to order, lest they engage in actions that can later embarrass his administration.”