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He was under political pressure to replace merit with corruption. “I believe in merit. Do what is right,” Tinubu told him

I Believe In Merit – Tinubu To NCC’s Maida

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has assured Aminu Maida, the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), of his backing to uphold merit in the Commission’s affairs.

Maida, who doubles as the Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, has faced mounting criticism from staff who failed to meet the 70% cut-off mark in the Commission’s latest promotion exercise.

The promotion, conducted in March 2025, has continued to stir discontent, with affected staff forming a group called the “Concerned Staff of the Nigerian Communications Commission” to demand redress.

While Maida has not publicly addressed the staff concerns, he sought the intervention of President Tinubu to defend the integrity of the process.

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The disclosure was made by Sam Omatseye, chairman of the editorial board of a prominent national newspaper, who recounted the encounter in his article “One Day With President Tinubu.”

Omatseye described how Maida approached the President to discuss pressure to compromise on recent hires. “I observed comings and goings like a fly on the wall,” he wrote. “One was from Aminu Maida, who wanted the President’s backing on recent hirings. He was under political pressure to replace merit with corruption. ‘I believe in merit. Do what is right,’ said Tinubu,” Omatseye recounted.

The promotion exercise, which elevated 239 staff members, has become a flashpoint between management and workers.

While some staff allege that the process favoured colleagues selected for elite foreign trainings at institutions like Harvard University and the London School of Economics, the NCC leadership has attributed the scaled-back perks to federal government cost-cutting measures. The Commission says it now prioritises staff welfare through improved salaries, allowances, and benefits.

Although some employees claim that the promotion pass mark was unilaterally raised from 60% to 70%, records show the 70% benchmark has been consistently applied over the past five years.

A breakdown of the promotion exercise by geopolitical zones shows: South East – 25.74%, South South – 16.91%, South West – 16.91%, North Central – 13.97%, North West – 13.24%, and North East – 13.24%.

The NCC management maintains that the promotion process was fair, transparent, and consistent with the agency’s longstanding standards. Read More

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