House Investigates Lopsided Recruitment in NSITF, Others

Udora Orizu in Abuja

The House of Representatives has mandated its Committees on Federal Character, Labour, Employment and Productivity, Disability and Public Service, to investigate alleged ongoing lopsided recruitment in the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) and other agencies under the Federal Ministry of Labour.

The committees in the course of their investigation are to recommend appropriate sanctions to anyone found culpable of undue favouritism.

The resolutions of the lawmakers are sequel to the adoption of a motion sponsored by Hon. Ismail Tijani at the plenary yesterday.

Moving the motion, Tijani noted that the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund is currently recruiting for positions at the management level.

He recalled that the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chris Ngige, has been embroiled in a battle to control Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), including the NSITF, and had been summoned by the National Assembly for the alleged misdemeanor in 2016 and 2021 respectively.

He said the House is aware that the summons was based on allegations of employment irregularities, impunity, and anomalies indicating gross abuse of office.

The lawmaker said on the current recruitment, only people from one particular part of the country are being allegedly recruited in the current exercise, which negates the principles of Federal Character.

He expressed worries that the current recruitment process at the NSITF, which is alleged to be biased, could negatively affect the promotion of hardworking staff of the organisation.

The lawmaker also stated that the minister’s alleged reign of impunity in the ministries and agencies under his supervision has continued unabated despite engagements and interventions of the National Assembly.

Tijani lamented that the alleged undue favouritism in the ongoing recruitment exercise could prevent the country from deriving the maximum benefits from the MDAs.

Adopting the motion, the House gave the committees four weeks to carry out the investigation and report back for further legislative action.

Thereafter, the Speaker, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, directed the Clerk of the House, Ben Akubueze, to inform the chairmen of the four committees to select 10 members from their committee to commence the investigation.