Director-General of National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman, has dismissed allegations of lopsided appointments and violations of federal character principle at the institute.
Sulaiman, while featuring on the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Personality Interview Series on Sunday in Abuja, insisted that all recruitments, promotions and internship programmes under his administration were conducted strictly on merit and competence.
He also said that all staff appointments and internship retainerships were free from religious or ethnic considerations.
Sulaiman defended his leadership record of equitable recruitment and promotion in NILDS, saying he cannot be found wanting because he adhered to the federal character principle, reflecting national diversity.
He dismissed assertions of favouring his home state, Kwara, explaining that senior appointments and departmental directorships were based on merit.
“Out of our 13 directors, none is an indigene of my home state, Kwara.
“If you want to do lopsided appointments, you place your people at the top, as directors and deputy directors, not as drivers or junior staff.
“I have been nationalistic and patriotic, strictly adhering to the rules,” Sulaiman said.
He added that the only person from Kwara at the senior management level in the institute is a professor on sabbatical who would soon return to University of Ilorin where he came from.
“We prioritise merit, regional equity and national cohesion, ensuring that recruitment across all cadres reflects fairness and constitutional guidelines,” he said.
The director-general insisted that internal governance at the institute remained anchored on fairness, meritocracy and justice.
Suleiman particularly cited the transparency of the institute’s internship scheme for legislative drafters, where selection and retainership depended entirely on performance.
“In the last seven schemes we have done, maybe only two of them were Muslims. The majority are Christians and I retained all of them.
“I try to impress it on my staff members to always be just. Don’t play religion; don’t do ethnicity, and be fair to your colleagues,” Sulaiman stated.
On his vision and legacy, the director-general said he hoped to be remembered as a leader who institutionalised progress, upheld equity and significantly enhanced staff welfare.
He added that he would want to be remembered for his contributions to the institute’s efficiency and improvement of Nigeria and Africa’s democracy.
“I want to be remembered as one person who came, sustained what he met on ground, improved on it and advanced it for future development,’’ he said.
