By,Giwa Alex,jos.
The Acting Executive Chairman Federal Character Commission, Dr. Shetima Bukar Abba has debunked insinuations that some states have been marginalized in the distribution of job opportunities.
Dr. Abba made this clear in Jos, the Plateau State Capital on Tuesday during an interactive session with Federal and State MDSs held at the instance of the state civil service Commission civil service in Plateau state.
According to him, the Federal Character Commission is not a recruiting agency but has been entrusted with the constitutional mandate to ensure that nobody is discriminated against, but rather ensure fairness and equitable distribution of positions in public service through out the federation among the indigenes of the various states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory
He expressed shocked that despite keeping faith with her statutory mandate, there has been reports of lopsided representation in the MDAs, preponderance of stock in people over others and the problem of settler/indigene acrimony including communities insistence on deciding who occupies what in an institution located in their location has remain recurring decimal.
He assures that the Commission is working assiduously with concern view of tackling the menace and seek for understanding on stakeholders to see that their duty is an enterprise that evey one should cue in.
He therefore commended the state government through the state civil service for initiating the forum for stakeholders to interact and prefer solutions to the wide speculation of marginalization over spread of national assets.
He explained that, “the Commission since its establishment has adopted a sharing formular, our policy and guide lines for sharing formular is that each state of the federation shall produce not less that 2.5 per cent and not more than 3 per cent and FCT shall produce 1per cent”.
He warns that the Commission would not take it lightly with any MDAs especially the federal MDSs who circumvent the procedure for recruitment.
Stressing that the federal character policy in an area remains operational the policy mandates of all federal MDAs to recruit 70 per of its ministry staff from the catchment areas of location with emphasis to the store states where the institution is sited.
Declaring the session open, the Plateau state Governor Simon Bako Lalong congratulate the Commission for its efforts particularly the prohibition of contracting recruitment exercise to consultants as well as stopping of charging fees for employment.
He further argued the commission to ensured fair and equitable distribution of post in the public service throughout the federation among the indigenes of the various states of the federation and Federal Capital Territory (FCT)and ensuring fair and equitable distribution of social service ,economic amenities and infrastructural facilities among the federating units throughout the federation.
Represented by the Head of service of Plateau state Chief D. G Fompun, the the Governor charged the Commission to remain dogged in ensuring that the federal character principal is strictly adhered to.
According to him, by so doing it will enthrench national unity, and timely too, address some issues like those clamouring for restructuring of the country.
