A civil society organisation has called on the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) to probe the re-appointment of the Director General of National Biotechnology Research and Development Agency (NBRDA), Professor Abdullahi Mustapha.
In a letter dated 7th March 2025, the Independent Public Service Accountability Watch (IPSAW) urged ICPC to probe what it describes as “the reckless display of brazen corruption and impunity being perpetuated concerning the purported re-appointment of Professor Abdullahi Mustapha as the Director General/Chief Executive of the National Biotechnology Research and Development Agency (NBRDA).”
According to the petition, signed by the IPSAW Executive Director, Comrade Stephen Eriba, the whole process through which Mustapha has remained in office violates extant regulations.
It says: “Professor Abdullahi Mustapha concluded his four-year tenure as Director General on 27th October 2024. Following the end of his tenure and in brazen contravention of extant Public Service procedure, he was appointed by the Honourable Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology as Acting Chief Executive of the Agency.
“This appointment contravenes the extant regulation issued through a 4th December 2017 Circular from the Office of the SGF, which stipulates that any Chief Executive ending their tenure must hand over to the most senior Director in the Agency. The Circular, titled “END OF TENURE PROCESSES FOR HEADS OF EXTRA-MINISTERIAL DEPARTMENTS, DIRECTORS GENERAL, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF PARASTATALS, AGENCIES, COMMISSIONS AND GOVERNMENT-OWNED COMPANIES AND SUCCESSION GUIDELINE.”
According to the petition, titled “URGENT (NEED) FOR INVESTIGATION INTO THE BRAZEN CORRUPTION AND IMPUNITY SURROUNDING THE PURPORTED RE-APPOINTMENT OF PROFESSOR ABDULLAHI MUSTAPHA AS DIRECTOR GENERAL OF NATIONAL BIOTECHNOLOGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT AGENCY (NBRDA), ABUJA,” Mustapha was purportedly appointed again as the substantive Director General for a second tenure but without any announcement from Office of the SGF or any official letter from anywhere to confirm that re-appointment. This, it says, raises concerns about its legitimacy.
The letter, addressed to the Chairman of ICPC says: “Given the significance of these matters to the principles of good governance, public trust, transparency and accountability in public service appointments, we kindly request your office to investigate, clarify and confirm … the legitimacy of the appointment of Professor Mustapha as Acting Chief Executive of NBRDA by the Honourable Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology in the first instance.
IPSAW also wants the anti-graft agency to probe the legitimacy of the subsequent re-appointment of Professor Abdullahi Mustapha as the substantive Director General for a second tenure, purportedly by the President “but which cannot be substantiated even by the appointee with a letter appointing him.”
It claims that the clarification is necessary for the sake of public service accountability and to ensure that due process is followed in the appointment of key officials in our public institutions.
The civil society organization says there is uneasy quiet within the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology and the Agency (NBRDA) concerning the “purported but unsubstantiated re-appointment.”
IPSAW is a registered Civil Society Organization committed to ensuring adherence to due process, transparency and accountability within the Public Service.
