Tinubu appoints new Federal Fire Service boss as Jaji faces exit scandal

President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Deputy Comptroller General (DCG) Olumode Samuel Adeyemi as the new Comptroller General of the Federal Fire Service (FFS), replacing Abdulganiyu O. Jaji, who is set to retire on August 13, 2025.

The formal announcement of Adeyemi’s appointment, a native of Kogi State, is expected on Wednesday.

Jaji, who was appointed to the position in April 2022 by former President Muhammadu Buhari, had served in the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing before joining the Federal Fire Service in 1999.

He rose through the ranks to become CGF and was heading the Administration and Supplies department before assuming the top position.

However, Jaji’s exit is being trailed by serious controversy following allegations of backdoor recruitment into key positions within the service.

A group of aggrieved personnel, identifying themselves as “Concerned Personnel of the Federal Fire Service,” have petitioned the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, and the Secretary of the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB), Gen. A.M. Jibril (Rtd), accusing Jaji of orchestrating a last-minute recruitment exercise to favour loyalists.

In a petition dated July 28, 2025, the whistleblowers claimed that the recruitment into mid-level positions, Grade Levels 10 to 14, violated the CDCFIB’s 2013 guidelines, which prohibit lateral entry into paramilitary agencies like the FFS.

They argue that firefighting and emergency response duties require years of specialised training and experience that cannot be replaced with political patronage.

The petitioners also highlighted the absence of established vacancies in the targeted grades, citing staff data that shows no openings for GL 10 to 12 in 2025.

They allege that the service already has 645 officers on GL 10, 495 on GL 11, and 230 on GL 12, stressing that any external recruitment would result in overstaffing and wastage of government resources.

Furthermore, the group decried the exclusion of existing qualified personnel from advancement opportunities to GL 13 and 14, accusing Jaji of marginalising career staff in favour of less-experienced outsiders.

The letter warned that if the irregularities are not addressed, the service could face widespread demoralisation, declining staff morale, and possible industrial unrest.

The officers have threatened legal and industrial action, as well as exposure of the alleged misconduct to anti-corruption agencies if the recruitment is not halted.

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The new Comptroller General, Olumode Adeyemi, now inherits both the mantle of leadership and the challenge of restoring credibility and stability to the fire service amidst growing internal tension.