ECOWAS  Suspends Staff Recruitment Exercise Over Employment Scandal

By Damilare Adeleye

The speaker of the Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Sidie Tunis, has suspended staff recruitment exercise over alleged malpractices in the recruitment process.

Mr Tunis who gave the directive in a statement by the parliament’s communications division, also set up of a panel to investigate the allegation.

Nigerian delegation at the parliament had earlier lamented that the country’s candidates were marginalised in the recruitment, and had threatened to withdraw its membership following the development.

The speaker made the suspension, having received written complaints from the first deputy speaker, Ahmed Idris Wase, and Nigeria’s permanent representative to the ECOWAS Commission, Musa Sani Nuhu.

His statement noted that the work of the eight-man independent ad hoc investigation committee will start this month, with its findings expected within a week, while adding that a bureau meeting would be convened immediately to consider the report for onward submission to the plenary.

“The action of the honourable speaker is in conformity with Rule Thirty-three (33) and Thirty-four (34) of the Rules of Procedures of the Parliament which provides that a Special Committee may be set up to address specific matters,” the statement said. “The Ad hoc Committee would be headed by Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, chairman of the Committee on Administration, Finance, and Budget.”

Members of the committee includes: Lynda Chuba Ikpeazu from Nigeria, Fatoumatta Njai from the Gambia, Amadou Djibo Ali from Niger, Kounon Nahou Agbandao from Togo, Caramo Camara from Guinea Bissau, Moussokora Chantal Fanny from Cote d’ Ivoire and Arboncana Oumarou Dicko.

“The terms of reference of the ad hoc committee shall be as follows: investigate allegations of inappropriate conduct in the ongoing recruitment process at the ECOWAS Parliament; investigate allegations of marginalisation of Nigerian candidates in the current recruitment process; investigate and determine if indeed the plenary adopted any resolution concerning the subject matter (recruitment of staff), using normal parliamentary procedure,” the statement added.