Senate moves to end illegal recruitment by federal agencies

Senate President Bukola Saraki has said that the Senate will accelerate the passage of the Existing Vacancies in the Federal Civil Service (Prohibition) Bill once it resumes in September.

In a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, Saraki said the bill, currently due for Second Reading, would 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 clearcut procedures that will help to curb and possibly end the trend of ‘silent or underground recruitment’,” Saraki said.

“This country belongs to every Nigerian. As such, all vacancies that exist in the Federal Civil Service must be properly advertised to give every Nigerian who meet the requirement a chance to apply,” he added.

Saraki also stated that the objective of the Bill, which was introduced by Senator Biodun Olujimi, the Senate Deputy Minority Whip, was 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 had not been advertised publicly.