The Arewa Youth Assembly (AYA) has accused the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) of secretly recruiting over 400 new staff to replace 1,000 employees who were reportedly forced to resign.
The group made the allegations in a statement issued in Kaduna by its Speaker, Mohammed Salihu Danlami, who condemned the recruitment process as lacking transparency and violating due process.
Danlami alleged that the recruitment, purportedly orchestrated under the leadership of CBN Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, was carried out without proper advertisement to allow qualified candidates to apply. He described the move as a “policy somersault,” questioning the rationale behind hiring new staff so soon after a downsizing exercise.
“We have intercepted credible reports alleging that the Central Bank of Nigeria under the leadership of Olayemi Cardoso has secretly recruited over 400 staff to replace the over 1,000 who were said to have voluntarily resigned,” Danlami said.
“How can a bank that recently shed its weight of excess staff surreptitiously employ 400 others to do what job?”
The youth leader also expressed concerns that the recruitment process may have excluded candidates from the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory, thereby violating the principle of federal character enshrined in the Nigerian constitution.
Danlami urged the CBN to provide clarification on the allegations and ensure future recruitment processes are transparent and inclusive.
The apex bank is yet to comment on the allegation at the time of filing this report.
