The House of Representatives on Wednesday passed through First Reading a bill which seeks to prohibit secret recruitment in the Federal Public Service and to make elaborate provisions for transparency in recruitment in the public service through the publication of vacancies and for related matters in Nigeria.

The bill sponsored by Hon. Tajudeen Yusuf further seeks to promote 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 published.

Recall that members of the House had expressed grave concerns over the breach of federal character policy in the recruitment exercises being carried out by various MDAs.

Clause 1 of the proposed bill provides that: “It shall be the policy of the Federal Government to promote efficiency in the allocation of personnel in the Federal Civil Service, as well as transparency and equal opportunities in the recruitment and hiring of new personnel.

Section 1(2) also provides that: “it shall be an offence for any Federal Government ministry, agency or parastatal to fill a vacancy in their establishment unless the vacancies are well-publicized before the commencement of the recruitment exercise.

In the bid to ensure transparency in the recruitment exercise, Section 1(3) mandates all MDAs to publish vacancies in two national newspapers.

Section 2(1) also provides that: “Any person who violates the provisions of Section 2(2) of this Act commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding N100,000 or to imprisonment for a term of not more than 6 months or to both.

Section 2(2) also stipulates that: “Where a Federal Government ministry, Agency or parastatal commits an offence under this Act, the Head of such ministry, Agency or parastatal shall be guilty of the offence and punishable as prescribed in subsection (1).

Section 3 of the proposed legislation also provides that the State High Court shall have jurisdiction over matters in this Act, while Section 4 confers the power on the Minister of Labour and Productivity may with the approval of the President make regulations for the implementation of this Act.

Also at plenary, the House passed through Second Reading a bill for an Act to provide for the establishment of National Transport Commission as an Independent Multi-Modal Regulator for the Regulated Transport Industry Sector as well as A Bill for an Act to repeal the National Health Insurance Scheme Act, 2004 and enact the National Health Insurance Authority Bill which were referred to the Committee of the Whole.

In the same vein, the House passed through Second Reading a bill for an Act to amend Sections 2, 4, 7, 11 and 15 of the Compulsory, Free, Universal Basic Education Act, 2004 which seeks to provide for the rehabilitation of delinquent children, provide a comprehensive definition for services, stakeholders and children or wards as captured in the enabling Act, by providing a role for Community Based Organizations in the development of basic education in States and Local Government Councils, to include Senior Secondary Education as part of basic education in Nigeria, as sponsored by Hon. Taiwo Oluga, and referred to the House Committee on Basic Education and Services for further legislative action. (Nigerian Tribune)

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