Staff of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) on Wednesday staged a protest at the commission’s headquarters, accusing Federal Commissioner Aliyu Ahmed of mismanaging funds meant for displaced persons and instead channelling them toward personal political interests in Nasarawa State.
Protesting staff, visibly frustrated in a video obtained by SaharaReporters, locked down the commission’s office, vowing not to return to work until their grievances are addressed by management.
“Enough is enough. We are here because we have seen a centralised fund that is used to fund political cronies in Nasarawa, while IDPs are suffering,” one protester declared.
He continued: “We are here to fight a leadership that does not know that we deserve to have modern equipment. We are fighting a leader who does not care if we don’t have office equipment, but rather goes and commissions a project in Nasarawa.”
The protesting workers also expressed frustration over alleged unfulfilled promises and a lack of basic working tools and welfare support for both staff and internally displaced persons (IDPs) across the country.
“He will promise you that during the festive season, it is your right to be taken care of, but he will end up telling you stories. He will not pick up calls, he will not answer messages.”
The staff members also accused him of running the humanitarian agency with unchecked impunity, corruption, and ethnic bias.
They demanded Ahmed’s immediate removal over what they described as entrenched corruption, neglect of staff welfare, diversion of relief materials, and favouritism towards his home state of Nasarawa.
Appointed in September 2023 by President Bola Tinubu following his nomination by Senator Aliyu Ahmed Wadada, who represents Nasarawa West Senatorial District, Ahmed’s tenure as CEO has become increasingly controversial, with staff members now openly accusing him of reducing the Commission to a tool for personal and regional gain.
“Only Nasarawa matters to him,” a senior staff member said, speaking under the condition of anonymity for fear of retribution.
“Relief materials meant for Internally Displaced Persons across Nigeria are hoarded in warehouses until they expire or rot, while only Nasarawa State gets consistent and approved distributions. Other zones have sent in memos for urgent support, but they’re ignored.”