No Ethnic Bias in Our Civil Service: Kogi Government…

The Kogi State Government has rejected allegations of ethnic discrimination in civil service recruitment, responding to a viral voice note attributed to a civil servant who alleged that Ebira youths were being excluded from employment opportunities within the state bureaucracy.

In a statement released on Saturday, Information Commissioner Kingsley Fanwo said Governor Ahmed Ododo’s administration is anchored on inclusion, merit and responsive governance and that employment in the civil service will continue to be strictly driven by competence, capacity and availability of resources.

Fanwo acknowledged the voice note and related video had generated reactions online, but cautioned against attempts to sensationalize the issue. “It is regrettable that some individuals and groups have sought to sensationalize the issue in a way capable of inflaming public sentiment. The issue, in reality, remains within the realm of constructive engagement and institutional resolution,” he said.

While stressing that the public servant was entitled to his opinions, Fanwo said there were well-established channels for grievance redressal within the public service. He added that Governor Ododo directed that the public servant concerned be accorded full protection and directed the public service to strengthen internal feedback mechanisms to ensure that grievances are addressed promptly.

“This administration is committed to supporting freedom of expression and will not suppress or persecute any citizen who has peacefully expressed their views,” Fanwo said.

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The commissioner reiterated that Ododo had sworn to serve all parts of the state without bias or sectional preference, and called on residents to remain calm and ignore attempts to spread misinformation on the issue.

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