Analysis by Comrade Ibrahim Muhammad Sani – Arewa Advocate_
Kai! This issue you raised is the hottest one in Arewa right now.
A scandal has been uncovered in NNPC recruitment – not of Naira, but of *SLOTS.*
*WHAT WAS UNCOVERED?*
In 2025-2026, NNPC did two things secretly:
*1. It sacked the old ones:* On 30th June 2026, it did an *Employee Exit Scheme* – sacked almost 1,000+ old staff who had served long. It said it wants to rejuvenate the company.
*2. It hired new ones through the back door:* In Q3 2025 (July-Sept 2025), it hired over *1,000+ youths* under the name “young professionals” and “headhunting for specialized expertise.”
But Arewa’s question is: *Who was hired?*
Reports that came out in July 2026 showed:
– 70-80% of the new hires are from Southwest and South-South.
– North East and North Central – only 10%.
– They used the word “merit and headhunting” instead of Federal Character.
That is why *Farooq Kperogi* wrote an article titled _”Tinubu’s Buharisation of the NNPC”_ – meaning just as Buhari filled NNPC with Northerners in 2016-2022, now Tinubu is filling it with Yorubas.
*NNPC’S RESPONSE AND NORTHERN GROUPS:*
NNPC was silent at first. Later it said: “No new recruitment, those you are seeing are from 2025, and we followed merit.”
Then some Northern groups suspected to have been paid – *Concerned Northern Forum* – came out in Kaduna 20th July 2026 and said:
– “No, Arewa interest is not under threat”
– “Don’t divide Nigeria because of NNPC”
– “NNPC did not stop Kolmani work”
But all of Arewa knows this group does not represent Arewa. They are known to be NNPC contractors.
The real groups – *Arewa Youth Council and Amalgamated Arewa Youth Group* – said: This is injustice. Federal Character must be followed.
*WHY IS THIS SCANDAL MORE DANGEROUS THAN ANY OTHER?*
Listen:
– Nigeria’s oil is for everyone. But the stolen oil money (N11.2 Trillion) the South is enjoying its benefit.
– The oil being drilled in Kolmani (Bauchi/Gombe) – Arewa owns it. But the drilling work – given to Total and other foreign companies, not Northerners.
– Pipeline security job – N4 Billion per month given to Tompolo (Niger Delta), but youths in Arewa guarding farms are not given even N1 Million.
Now recruitment again – old Northerners sacked, new Southerners hired, under the name “digital skills.”
This is the *COMPLETE INHERITANCE SHARING* that Salisu Yakubu talked about.
You remove Arewa from oil under its soil, you remove Arewa from the company selling the oil, you leave Arewa with poverty and bandits.
*WHAT SHOULD AREWA DO?*
*1. We need Federal Character Commission to publish the list of names hired 2025-2026 with their states.* Not talk. List.
*2. We need Frontier Exploration Fund restored.* Under PIA, NUPRC is supposed to give money for oil exploration in Arewa. But since 2023 not even N1 has been given for Kolmani. Why? Because they said “not commercially viable.” But they give $2.79bn for refinery rehab that doesn’t work.
*3. We need Arewa to own NNPC Retail.* NNPC has 900 filling stations. How many in Arewa? We need 50% of those to be made smart stations to be in Arewa – Sokoto, Kano, Maiduguri.
If not done, wallahi as you said – Arewa will continue watching NNPC on TV, but will never enter inside.
NNPC says “We are not selling slots.” But truth is: Slots are not sold with money – they are shared with politics. And Arewa has no politics inside NNPC now.
© Comrade Ibrahim Muhammad Sani
Arewa Advocate
1st Nov 2026
