Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, has cancelled the outcome of the recently concluded Civil Service Commission (CSC) recruitment exercise following mounting allegations of widespread irregularities and extortion.
The governor’s decision comes amid protests and complaints by applicants who accused officials of manipulating the recruitment process, dropping qualified candidates, and allegedly selling slots to the highest bidders.
According to government sources, over 4000 staff members were reportedly recruited in the exercise, making it one of the largest civil service recruitments in the state in recent years.
However, the massive scale of the recruitment has also heightened allegations of corruption, as applicants claimed that many deserving candidates were unfairly excluded.
Multiple affected applicants told SaharaReporters that despite meeting all requirements and passing screening stages, their names were excluded from the final list, while individuals who allegedly never participated in the process emerged as successful candidates.
According to several sources, desperate job seekers were allegedly forced to part with between N500,000 and N700,000 to secure employment, only for many of them to be sidelined at the final stage.
“It was a complete scam,” one applicant said. “Those who followed the rules were punished, while money determined who got employed.”
Reacting to the outrage, Governor Fintiri ordered the immediate cancellation of the recruitment outcome and approved the constitution of a probe panel to investigate the entire exercise, covering shortlisting, screening, and final selection.
A senior government source told SaharaReporters that the governor has vowed to deal decisively with anyone found culpable, stressing that his administration would not tolerate exploitation of job seekers or abuse of public trust.
“The governor was clear that heads will roll if wrongdoing is established,” the source said. “This government does not condone fraud or sharp practices.”
Civil society organisations and rights advocates have welcomed the cancellation, describing it as a rare corrective step in a system often plagued by corruption.
