The Niger State Chapter of the National Youth Council of Nigeria, NYCN, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to as a matter of urgency, sack the newly-appointed Registrar/Chief Executive Officer, CEO, of the National Examinations Council, NECO, Professor Godswill Obioma.
The Council urged Buhari to remove Obioma and replace with a Candidate from the host community (Niger State), or from any other State in Northern Nigeria.
Making the call in Minna, the Niger State capital, the NYCN State Chairman, Comrade Bello B. Shariff, said that in the 21 years of NECO’s existence, the host State has been relegated to the background, in appointing who sits at the helm of affairs of the Examination body.
Seated alongside other Officials of the organisation at a Press Conference, Shariff stated: “The struggle and agitation will continue, until justice and fairness are exhibited in NECO’s activities.”
He also lamented that in the area of employment, the host State has been shortchanged, arguing that: ”Only less than 10 percent of Level 1 to 6 made up of Junior Staff that ordinarily supposed to be for the host communities, were denied.
“Even the past Leaderships brought in people from their States for appointments, leaving the host communities unattended to, even at a lower cadre.”
On the award of contracts in the Council, the Chairman stated that since, the establishment of NECO in 1999, by a former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Alhaji Abubakar, local content have not been adhered to in the contract awards, while also lambasting the Council for not being transparent and fair in its Corporate Social Responsibility to the State.
The Chairman further revealed that the State Chapter is in talks with the National body, particularly States in the North, to see reasons for their agitations.