A group of first-class graduates of the Yobe State University has accused the administration of Governor Mai Mala Buni of marginalisation and lack of transparency in the allocation of government appointments in Yobe State, alleging that merit is being sacrificed for favouritism.

The graduates, drawn from different faculties and representing various local government areas across the state, said that despite their academic excellence, they have been largely overlooked in government appointments.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Arewa PUNCH, a representative of the group, Mallam Sadiq Ibrahim criticised what he described as the government’s failure to recognise academic excellence and competence in its appointment process.

“It is very painful and discouraging to discover that in Yobe State today, appointments are not based on merit, competence, or capacity but on who you know, and unless you have access to people in authority or political connections, your qualifications and academic achievements appear to count for nothing no matter how excellent they are.

“This has made many hardworking youths lose confidence in the system,” he lamented.

The group further bemoaned the situation whereby, despite graduating with first-class degrees after years of academic discipline and sacrifice, they have been sidelined and denied opportunities to contribute to the development of the state.

‎‎“We graduated with first-class degrees after years of hard work, sleepless nights, and commitment to our studies with the belief that excellence would naturally be recognised and rewarded, but unfortunately there has been no deliberate effort by the government to identify, engage, or empower us to serve our state despite our readiness and willingness to contribute,” Sadiq pointed out.

‎‎They further accused the administration of Governor Mai Mala Buni of failing to follow due process in making appointments, alleging that transparency and fairness have been replaced by selective considerations.

‎‎“Appointments are meant to follow due process, fairness, and transparency, but what we see today is a system where positions are shared among a few individuals who already have access to power, and this practice continues to sideline qualified youths while sending a dangerous message that hard work, discipline, and education do not matter,” he stressed.

‎‎While echoing a similar sentiment, AB Machina, an advocate for good governance in Yobe State, faulted the state government’s approach to appointments, particularly in the handling of first-class graduates from the state university.

‎‎“What we are witnessing is a selective application of merit where the governor appointed a sole female first-class graduate as a university lecturer, which in itself is commendable, but it becomes so concerning when dozens of other first-class graduates from different faculties and various local government areas across the state are completely ignored without any clear explanation or transparent criteria,” he remarked.

‎‎Machina noted that while gender inclusion is important, it should not be used as a justification to sideline other qualified individuals.

‎‎“Good governance is about fairness, equal opportunity, and institutionalising merit across board, because you cannot celebrate excellence in one individual and at the same time overlook others who have equally proven themselves academically, as this approach weakens trust in leadership and discourages young people from striving for excellence,” he insisted.

‎‎The good governance advocate e warned that such an approach could discourage academic excellence among youths in the state.

‎‎“When young people see that only a few are recognised while others are neglected without clear and fair standards, it creates frustration, erodes trust in governance, and sends a wrong signal to students who believe education is the path to success, which is why merit must be institutionalised and not personalised if the state truly wants to progress,” he lamented.

‎‎The group of graduates warned that the continued neglect of qualified young professionals could have long-term consequences for Yobe State, particularly in critical sectors such as health, education, and public service.

‎‎“When capable and educated youths are ignored, the state loses valuable human resources and its development continues to suffer, because Yobe State cannot grow if those who are trained, willing, and ready to contribute are continuously pushed aside in favour of less qualified individuals,” he added.

‎‎They called on the Yobe State Government to urgently review its appointment process and adopt a transparent, merit-based system that recognises excellence.

‎‎As of the time of filing this report, all efforts to obtain a comment from the office of the Yobe State Governor, including the Director-General of Press, Mamman Mohammed were abortive, as the did not respond to phone calls seeking a reaction to the allegation. (PUNCH)