Concerned stakeholders within the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) have called on the Commission’s management to suspend plans for a fresh promotion examination until lingering disputes from the 2023/2024 exercise are properly addressed.
The stakeholders, speaking through a coordinated group within the Commission, warned that launching another examination amid unresolved grievances would be “premature, unjust, and damaging” to staff morale.
According to them, despite claims that the supervising Ministry had reviewed and approved the previous process, the credibility of the 2023/2024 promotion exam remains in question.
Allegations of Manipulation and Lack of Transparency
The group alleged that several deserving officers who performed well were unfairly denied promotion, while others with “questionable results” were elevated under unclear circumstances.
A major point of contention, they said, was the unusual delay in releasing the results. Unlike in past years when CAC promotion exams held at JAMB-accredited centres produced instant, verifiable results, the 2023/2024 results were withheld for several weeks — a move many employees viewed as suspicious.
“This delay broke the trust staff had in the process,” one stakeholder explained, adding that the long wait created room for possible result manipulation.
Some officers who were eventually promoted, the group claimed, later revealed scores that didn’t align with what colleagues expected based on comparative performance — further deepening suspicion.
Rising Discontent Within the Commission
The controversy has reportedly created growing resentment among employees, leading to internal divisions, loss of motivation, and a decline in commitment to new organizational initiatives.
“The Commission is bleeding internally,” another stakeholder lamented. “People feel cheated, and others are too afraid to speak up for fear of intimidation or job loss.”
The group noted that previous examinations conducted through JAMB offered greater professionalism and transparency, as participants received results in real time. They argued that the non-JAMB centres used in 2023/2024 lacked similar safeguards, making them “vulnerable to interference.”
Call for Independent Review
The stakeholders demanded that CAC management return to the original exam results recorded at the test centres and disregard any scores allegedly altered afterward.
They also urged the Commission to set up an independent review committee to investigate the conduct and outcome of the 2023/2024 promotion exercise.
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The proposed committee, according to them, should include representatives from:
* The supervising Ministry,
* The Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, and
* Relevant staff unions.
Such a review, they argued, is necessary to restore integrity, fairness, and confidence in the promotion process before any new examination can be considered.
Justice Before Progress
The group warned that rushing into another promotion exam without resolving the last one would amount to “burying the injustice” suffered by those who were denied their rightful advancement.
“Someone who passed last year might fail the next exam simply due to natural performance differences,” they noted. “Without addressing these flaws, the Commission risks compounding the injustice rather than correcting it.”
They concluded by urging CAC leadership to prioritize transparency and fairness over speed, emphasizing that only a credible review can heal the divisions and restore trust among staff.
