Senate to pass bill to stop illegal, secret recruitment

The President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has said that
the Senate will accelerate the passage of a bill that will curb the
rate of illegal recruitment in government agencies.

Saraki said that the bill titled, “Existing Vacancies in the
Federal Civil Service (Prohibition) Bill” will be one of the bill
that will receive accelerated passage upon the resumption of the
National Assembly.

In a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and
Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, Saraki said that the Bill, which is
currently due for Second Reading, will be given priority as one of
the Senate’s legislative interventions to curb the increasing rates
of illegal recruitment into federal government agencies and
parastatals.

“The Existing Vacancies Bill will put in place clear-cut
procedures that will help to curb and possibly end the trend of
‘silent or underground recruitment.

“This country belongs to every Nigerian, and as such, all
vacancies that exist in the Federal Civil Service must be properly
advertised to give every Nigerian that meets the requirement a
chance to apply.”

“Saraki also stated that the objective of the Bill, which was
introduced by Senator Biodun Olujimi, the Senate Deputy Minority
Whip, will be to promote the integrity and transparency in the
recruitment of personnel into the Federal Civil Service, by making
it an offence for a Federal Ministry, Agency or Parastatal to fill
existing vacancies in their organizations if such vacancies have
not been advertised publicly.

“With this Bill, we will set time-frames for recruitment and the
publication of recruitment in national dailies.

“This will make it the duty of the heads of government agencies
and ministries to ensure compliance or face punitive measures.

“Additionally, this Bill will help to ensure that the mandate of
the Federal Character Commission is followed to the latter, by
imposing punitive measures on those that choose to intentionally
flout the law.

“This illegal recruitment trend needs to stop, and when we
resume, we will begin to work towards enshrining this in our laws,”
Saraki said.

NAN

The President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has said that
the Senate will accelerate the passage of a bill that will curb the
rate of illegal recruitment in government agencies.

Saraki said that the bill titled, “Existing Vacancies in the
Federal Civil Service (Prohibition) Bill” will be one of the bill
that will receive accelerated passage upon the resumption of the
National Assembly.

In a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and
Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, Saraki said that the Bill, which is
currently due for Second Reading, will be given priority as one of
the Senate’s legislative interventions to curb the increasing rates
of illegal recruitment into federal government agencies and
parastatals.

“The Existing Vacancies Bill will put in place clear-cut
procedures that will help to curb and possibly end the trend of
‘silent or underground recruitment.

“This country belongs to every Nigerian, and as such, all
vacancies that exist in the Federal Civil Service must be properly
advertised to give every Nigerian that meets the requirement a
chance to apply.”

“Saraki also stated that the objective of the Bill, which was
introduced by Senator Biodun Olujimi, the Senate Deputy Minority
Whip, will be to promote the integrity and transparency in the
recruitment of personnel into the Federal Civil Service, by making
it an offence for a Federal Ministry, Agency or Parastatal to fill
existing vacancies in their organizations if such vacancies have
not been advertised publicly.

“With this Bill, we will set time-frames for recruitment and the
publication of recruitment in national dailies.

“This will make it the duty of the heads of government agencies
and ministries to ensure compliance or face punitive measures.

“Additionally, this Bill will help to ensure that the mandate of
the Federal Character Commission is followed to the latter, by
imposing punitive measures on those that choose to intentionally
flout the law.

“This illegal recruitment trend needs to stop, and when we
resume, we will begin to work towards enshrining this in our laws,”
Saraki said.

NAN