Central Bank Recruits Cry Out Over 2-year Delay In Posting, Onboarding

A group of 60 newly recruited staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) have raised the alarm over the delay in their posting and onboarding, nearly two years after accepting their offer letters.

The affected recruits said the apex bank issued them provisional offer letters on August 28, 2023, which were followed by acceptance forms and instructions to resign from their previous places of employment as part of the documentation process.

Speaking on behalf of the group during a press conference held at the office of the Correspondents’ Chapel in Bauchi yesterday, Emmanuel Linus Dabo, said that many of them had complied with the bank’s requirements and had resigned from their former jobs in anticipation of resumption.

“We all tendered resignation letters to our former employers at the time to enable us to complete the CBN process,” he said.

According to Dabo, the recruitment process began in April 2023 with the submission of resumes to the CBN headquarters. He explained that shortlisted applicants were later invited for interviews, aptitude tests, and medical examinations conducted through the medical clinic of the CBN.

“After completing the interview, medical screening and aptitude test, successful candidates were contacted by the Human Resources Department and invited to the CBN headquarters in Abuja to collect their offer letters. We filled and returned our acceptance letters immediately,” he said.

He added that the recruits subsequently received multiple emails from the Human Resources Department requesting online submission of credentials, including acknowledged resignation letters from their former employers.

However, Dabo said that after completing all documentation, communication from the bank abruptly stopped, leaving many of them unemployed and uncertain about their future.

According to documents obtained by our correspondent, the offer letters described the appointments as provisional, subject to a one-year probationary period after which confirmation would be based on satisfactory performance.

The group disclosed that several reminder letters were written to the CBN management, including letters addressed to the current Governor in September 2023, November 2024 and January 2025, but none received a response.

Appealing to the CBN Governor, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and other relevant authorities, the recruits said the prolonged delay has plunged many of them into severe financial hardship.

“Some of our colleagues are battling depression. Recently, we had to contribute N3,000 each to support some of them currently receiving medical care,” Dabo said.

He lamented that many of the affected recruits are struggling to pay rent, meet basic living expenses, and keep their children in school, while others who returned from overseas to serve the country are now facing worsening economic conditions.

“We are pleading for urgent intervention. The situation is becoming unbearable,” he added.