The National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) is in turmoil as staff have shut down the Commission’s head office in Abuja, protesting against the Federal Commissioner/Chief Executive Officer, Aliyu Ahmed.
The protesting staff are demanding Ahmed’s immediate removal, accusing him of “mismanagement, poor staff welfare, lack of transparency, and misuse of funds,” particularly in relation to the Ecological Fund.
The Guardian reports that Ahmed was appointed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as CEO of the Commission in September 2023.
Now, 21 months into his tenure, his leadership is “laced with heavy allegations of injustice, poor staff welfare, lack of transparency with funds—especially the Ecological Fund—and partial distribution of relief materials.”
A senior official of the Commission, who requested anonymity, told The Guardian: “Despite numerous memos to the CEO on the distribution of relief materials to IDPs, only his state, Nasarawa, gets scheduled for distribution. Every now and then, other zonal offices get nothing, and sometimes the items expire or go bad and are thrown away.”
The official further revealed: “There is a big backlog of travel allowances owed by the management many months after the fund was released. Funds for staff welfare during Sallah and Christmas were allegedly released too, but no single staff got a penny.”
The protest comes amid deepening concerns over the Commission’s internal practices.
In a related development last year, a large stockpile of relief materials meant for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) was found hoarded in classrooms at the Durumi IDP camp in Abuja.
That discovery led the Federal Government to launch a formal investigation into suspected diversion of aid meant for displaced citizens.
The protesting staff are demanding “immediate reforms within the Commission,” including enhanced staff welfare, financial transparency, and accountability in fund utilization. They insist the protest will continue until their demands are addressed.