Some staff members of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) have accused the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Aminu Maida, of presiding over what they described as widespread corruption, abuse of power, staff victimisation and intimidation within the telecoms regulator.

Operating under the name Concerned Staff of the NCC, the workers alleged that Maida’s leadership has been marked by hypocrisy, favouritism and fear, warning that the situation within the commission has deteriorated significantly.

According to the staff, management has repeatedly refused to promote existing employees on the grounds that there are “no vacancies,” while allegedly approving the recruitment of more than 50 new staff into various positions.

They described the development as a clear contradiction and evidence of insider preference rather than genuine reform.

“Despite repeatedly refusing to promote existing staff due to claims of “no vacancy,” Maida, the Execut has overseen the recruitment of over 50 new people into various positions.”

Sources said it is a clear case of hypocrisy and insider favoritism.

One staff member, who spoke anonymously, described Maida’s leadership in unusually harsh terms, saying, “I have never seen a wicked person like this Maida. NCC has never seen a wicked person like this. Blessed and kind was Juwah and we thought otherwise then.”

The staff alleged that the situation has worsened with the introduction of a voluntary redundancy scheme, which they claimed is not aimed at improving efficiency but at forcing existing staff out of the commission.

According to them, the scheme is designed to create vacancies for preferred candidates, amid allegations that members of the NCC Board pressured Maida to recruit their family members and associates, with the redundancy programme serving as a convenient means to comply.

They further accused the NCC leadership of moving from administrative misconduct to outright intimidation, alleging that staff are being pressured to abandon their careers.

Some employees, they claimed, have even been invited by the Department of State Services (DSS) at the instance of the NCC leadership as a means of intimidation.

A staff member lamented what was described as the cruelty of the process, saying, “Can you believe how wicked this set of cabal in NCC are, that they cannot even allow one that is due to leave in months’ time to apply for the VR (Voluntare redundany) and leave with a level higher?”

The staff also raised concerns about governance and oversight within the commission, alleging that Maida regularly travels abroad, including to the United Kingdom to visit his family, without formally handing over responsibilities to his direct reports.

According to them, this ensures that there is no internal oversight of his activities, except through an alleged close associate, Ibrahim Galadima.

One source claimed that Maida operates with a sense of impunity, alleging that he believes he is untouchable due to powerful connections.

“He thinks he is untouchable because he has Idris Alubankudi as his godfather, and Idris’s brother is the President’s close associate,” the source alleged.

The staff, however, warned that no individual is above the law, citing past examples of powerful figures who eventually faced accountability.

They vowed to ensure that Maida and Ibrahim Galadima are held responsible for their alleged actions, insisting that the public deserves to know what is happening within the NCC and that staff deserve justice.

The concerned staff called on the Minister of Communications, anti-corruption agencies, the National Assembly and the media to urgently intervene and investigate allegations surrounding irregular recruitment.

They also called for a probe into how the implementation of the voluntary redundancy scheme, alleged board interference in employment decisions, the intimidation of staff using state security agencies, and what they described as a declining quality of service at the commission, which they claimed contrasts sharply with what they characterised as frequent and unproductive foreign travels by the EVC.

Source: Sahara Reporters