The Pan Nigeria Social cultural and political interest group Arewa Youth Assembly (AYA) has raised serious allegations against the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and its governor, Olayemi Cardoso, claiming that the apex bank has secretly recruited over 400 new staff members to replace more than 1,000 employees who reportedly resigned voluntarily. The youth group accuses Cardoso’s administration of favoritism, suggesting that those recruited are connected to influential figures in government rather than being chosen through a fair and transparent process.
The Spokesperson of the group Mohammed Salihu Danlami expressed deep concern over the alleged recruitment practices at the CBN. “If not confusion and lack of a purposeful direction, how can a bank that recently shed its weight of excess staff, surreptitiously employ 400 others to do what job?” Danlami questioned. The Assembly suspects that a directive issued by the CBN leadership aimed at streamlining operations was a guise to phase out employees lacking connections to the current power holders, replacing them with individuals who have ties to the political elite. “This raises eyebrows about the integrity of the recruitment process,” Danlami stated, adding that the absence of a public advertisement for the positions effectively sidelined capable youth from the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory, violating the principle of federal character. Instead of working on solutions to the issues stemming from the recent floating of the Naira, they appear more interested in creating job opportunities for their own. The AYA criticized the CBN for what they termed a misallocation of priorities, accusing Cardoso and his team of focusing on appeasing political interests rather than addressing the pressing economic challenges facing Nigerians. “Instead of working on solutions to the issues stemming from the recent floating of the Naira, they appear more interested in creating job opportunities for their own,” Danlami alleged.
As a result of these allegations, the Arewa Youth Assembly has called for the resignation of Olayemi Cardoso and the senior management of the CBN. They demand an independent investigation into the alleged clandestine recruitment, which they describe as “nocturnal and highly secretive.”Furthermore, Danlami urged religious leaders to leverage their influence on Friday to mobilize youth for a massive protest against what they term the anti-Arewa stance of the Cardoso led CBN. “We will not sit idly by while our future is being compromised. We demand accountability and transparency,” he concluded.The CBN has yet to respond to these allegations. As the controversy unfolds, the CBN has yet to respond to these allegations, leaving many to speculate on the implications of such claims for the institution’s credibility and governance. The Arewa Youth Assembly’s call for action highlights growing frustrations among Nigerian youth regarding employment opportunities and equitable representation in the country’s financial institutions.
