A group, Civil Society Groups for Good Governance (CSGGG) has said allegations of bias against the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) and its Executive Director/CEO, Mrs. Nonye Ayeni, regarding the upcoming promotion examinations were unfounded because the processes followed civil service rules.
In a statement signed by its President Comrade Ogakwu Dominic on Monday, CSGGG said promotion process is transparent, fair, and compliant with civil service rules.
Highlighting the processes that agency followed, he said the process involves: “Approval from the Head of Service of the Federation, who reviews the manpower budget, available vacancies, and eligibility of candidates.
” A Senior Staff Committee, comprising representatives from NEPC, the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment, the Office of the Head of Service, and the Federal Civil Service Commission, which handles promotions.
“Communication to staff, including the list of eligible candidates, which was duly circulated via Circular ADM/CONF/SM/I/VOL.12/121 on June 26, 2025.”
He noted that the allegations are premature because the examination has not yet taken place.
“We also observe that the NEPC’s promotion process has been successful in the past, with 74 staff members participating in the 2024 examination, and 49 being duly promoted.
“The success of that exercise was largely attributed to the meticulous planning and strict adherence to civil service procedures under the supervision of Mrs. Ayeni.
“Furthermore, we wish to address specific claims made in the publications about favoring some certain officials are baseless and quite unfounded, as they have not yet sat for the examinations, let alone passed or been promoted.
“Allegations of favoritism are therefore speculative and baseless,” he said.
He urged the originators of the allegations to cease their campaigns of misinformation, callimg on staff, stakeholders, and the public to defend merit-based leadership.
“We commend the NEPC leadership and staff for their resilience and encourage them to remain focused on their mandate of expanding Nigeria’s non-oil export capacity and contributing meaningfully to President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda,” he said.
He noted that they will continue to monitor developments at the NEPC and other government agencies to ensure that professionalism and transparency remain the bedrock of public service.