Group seeks cancellation of DSS recruitment, Daura’s resignation

The South-East/South-South Network (SESSNet), a socio-political and economic pressure group has condemned the recent alleged lopsided recruitment exercise by the Department of State Services (DSS), calling on its Director General, Lawal Daura to resign immediately.

The group observed with dismay the manner in which the agency recruited its new cadet officers with nearly 70 percent of intakes selected from the Northern part of the country and about 30 percent from the South in its 2016 recruitment exercise.

SESSNet also pointed out that it has lost confidence in Daura’s leadership of the service to handle such a vital national security organization, insisting that he either resigns or face court action.

It described the trend which as the hallmark of the President Muhammadu Buhari government, saying “it is a dangerous trend taken too far.”

A statement signed by its coordinator, Daniel Elombah noted that, “So lopsided was the hiring pattern that more people were employed from President Buhari’s Katsina State alone (51) than all the South-East states combined (44). Katsina is also Daura’s home state.

“A breakdown of the newly commissioned cadet officers on geopolitical basis revealed that 165 are from the North-West, about four times as many as those who were picked from the South-South (42). The figures for the other zones are North-East 100, North-Central 66, South-West 57 and South-East 44.”

It pointed out that the development was consistent with a disturbing pattern of recruitments and appointments under the Buhari administration since it came on board, stressing that it has jettisoned established and constitutional federal character principle in all its activities.

The SESSNet spokesman insisted that the reckless trend must be checked in the interest of unity, peace, and democracy in the country.

“This lopsided recruitment by the SSS, which has become a recurrent decimal in this administration would further widen the gulf between the Northern and Southern peoples and deepen the marginalisation of South-East and South-South regions by the President Buhari-led Northern oligarchy and the domination of the security agencies by the North.

“As champions of true federalism in Nigeria, SESSNet strongly condemns the lopsided recruitment carried out by the Daura-led DSS.

“We also challenge the presidency to provide details of the alleged lopsided recruitment of 2014/15 which they claimed justifies the recruitment pattern,” the group said.

While questioning presidency claims that the recruitment details were executed to remedy an earlier imbalance, they demanded immediate reversal and asked for a fresh recruitment exercise that would reflect the federal character principle.

The group requested for the publication of the service staff list with the statistical details as to state of origin, rank and qualification.

SESSNet further called on lawmakers from South -East and South-South zones to ensure zero budgetary allocation for the DSS in the 2017 budget if their requests were not met.