A bill seeking to ensure strict compliance with the provisions and principles of federal character in employment and vacancies by the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) passed second reading on the floor of the House of Representatives on Wednesday.
The private member bill sponsored by Hon. Ganiyu Abiodun Johnson seeks to amend the National Directorate of Employment Act, Cap. N28, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
In his lead debate on the general principles of the bill, Hon. Johnson who frowned at the abuse of the extant policy argued that appointments in virtually all facet of the nation’s economy has not followed the tenet of the provisions of the Federal Character Commission.
The proponent of the bill seeks to Mend Section 2 of the NDE Principal Act by inserting a new paragraph which stipulates that: “ensure that in implementing the process of providing opportunity for the mass unemployment in the country, the principles and provisions of federal character Commission Act is strictly followed to give adequate opportunity to every section of the country.”
He further proposed amendment to subsection 2(c) by inserting a new subsection which stipulates that NDE shall “obtain and maintain a databank on employment and vacancies in the country, with a view to acting as a clearing house to link job seekers with vacancies, in collaboration with other government agencies.”
He also underscored the need for the Directorate to “implement any other policy as may be laid down, from time to time, by the Board established under Section 3 of this Act.”
While stressing the need to address the menace, Hon. Johnson observed that “the worldwide economic depression of the early 80’s caused a rapid detonation in Nigeria’s economy, leading to less employment opportunity for millions of Nigerians.
“By the end of 1985, the unemployment situation in Nigeria had reached desperate alarming proportions which led to the creation of National Directorate of Employment (NDE) to commit to employment, poverty reduction, wealth-creating, and attitudinal change to enable Nigerian Youths to be self-employed and contribute to the economic growth of the nation.
“The Federal Character Commission happened to be one of the MDAs of the Federal government with the responsibility to promote, monitor and enforce compliance with the principles of the proportional sharing of all bureaucratic, economic, media and political posts at all levels of government.
“In the urban areas where the educated tend to concentrate, the unemployment rate was especially high running to over 10%. The youth and graduates were the hardest hit of all in employed Nigerians, ranging upwards of 3 million, three, quarters were under 25 years of age.
“With growing joblessness, there was growing despondency among youths and their parents. The Federal Character Commission came into existence and has the full force of law by the Act of this National Assembly on the 27th December 1995.
“And by Section 4 (1) (a) it provides that ‘(a) to work out an equitable formula, subject to the approval of the President, for the distribution of all cadres of posts in the civil and the public services of the Federation and of the States, the Armed Forces, the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies, bodies corporate owned by the Federal or a State Government and Extra-Ministerial Departments and parastatals of the Federation and States.’
“It is an understatement to state that appointment in virtually all the facets of the Nation has not followed the tenet of the provisions of Federal Character Commission. And thus there is a need to strengthen the National Directorate of Employment to observe this tenet and create an equitable distribution of available employment across the geo-political zones of the Country.
“Mr Speaker and my esteemed Honorable Colleagues, it is on this note that I call on all of us to jointly rise with me to among other things empower the Directorate to ensure strict compliance with the provisions and principles of Federal Character in the employment and vacancies in the country and for related matters.”
Sequel to the overwhelming support enjoyed by the bill, the Speaker, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila referred it to the House Committee on Labour, Employment and Productivity for further legislative action.
