Procedures for Recruitment

PROCEDURES FOR RECRUITMENT INTO THE FEDERAL PUBLIC SERVICES

  1. The Federal Character commission is mandated by Paragraphs 8(1)(a) and (b) of section C, part 1, Third schedule t the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to:
      1. “work out  an equitable formula, subject to the approval of the  National Assembly, for distribution of all cadres of posts in the Public Service of the federation and of the States, the Armed Forces of the Federation, the Nigeria Police force and other government security Agencies, government owned companies/parastatals of the states” and to “promote, monitor and enforce compliance with the principle of proportional sharing of al bureaucratic, economic, media and political posts at all levels of government”.
  1. The Commission is further empowered by Section 4(1)(g)(i) of the federal Character Commission (Establishment, etc.) Act Cap F7 laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, to:
      1. “ensure that all ministries and Extra-Ministerial Departments, agencies and other bodies affected by this Act have clear criteria indicating the conditions to be fulfilled and comprehensive guidelines on the procedure for determining eligibility and the procedure for employment in the public and private sectors of the economy”.
  1. In furtherance of the measures aimed at ensuring compliance with these constitutional and statutory provisions, the following procedure shall be followed in filling all vacancies, particularly at the entry point:
      1. each MDA shall ensure proper manpower planning in accordance with its authorized staffing/manning level;
      2. When there is a need to recruit staff, available vacancies  shall be harvested and identified cadre by cadre;
      3. The spread of al vacancies to be filled shall be predetermined in relation to the current levels of (Federal Character) representation, by states or zones, at a joint meeting of MDA and the FCC;
      4. The MDA shall ensure, and provide comprehensive job description (academic qualifications and cognate experience) required for each vacant position;
      5. All vacancies shall be advertised in at least two newspapers circulating nationally, giving prospective candidates, a minimum of six weeks within which to apply;
      6. In filling the allotted vacancies, adequate consideration shall be given to gender representation and the physically challenged;
      7. Where candidates are required to apply on-line, hard copies of such applications shall nevertheless be accepted;
      8. No Agent of Government shall request applicants to any job in the Public Service to pay any application or processing fees;
      9. Recruitment into the Public Service shall not be contracted out to Consulting Firms. However such Agencies of Government as ASCON, CMD, PSIN and the like may be contracted to organize screening/aptitude tests.
  1. Only candidates who have met the basic minimum requirements for each position shall be shortlisted for interview or any other selection process. Under no circumstances shall an unqualified candidate be shortlisted purportedly on the basis of federal character considerations. However, a candidate who has met the basic minimum requirements shall be eligible to complete for posts reserved for his State and/or Zone, and shall not be penalized or disadvantaged in favour of a candidate from another state or zone who may posses’ higher qualifications.
  2. At the close of advertisement, the recruiting MDAs shall compile and forward to the Commission the long list of all applications received and  shortlist of qualified candidates for interview or any other mode of selection on State by State basis:
    1. Drawing as much as possible, in equal number, from each State of the Federation and approximately a third of that number from the FCT, indicating also, the Local Government Area of origin. (Where an aptitude  test or any other type of written or oral test is required as part of the selection process, the compilation of results shall be on State by State basis, in order to enable the best candidates from each State and the FCT to be employed).
    2. The best and most competent candidates from each State of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory shall be shortlisted to compete for positions reserved for their respective States/Zones.
    3. The list of successful candidates shall be compiled and, at a special joint meeting of the MDA and the FCC, and matched, for consistency, with the pre-determined distribution formulae.
    4. In drawing up the list of successful candidates for employment from a particular State, the recruiting MDA shall ensure that there is fair and equitable spread amongst indigenes of the local Government areas of the State or the Senatorial Districts as applicable.
    5. A Certificate of Compliance (with the FCC principles/guidelines) shall be issued as final authorization for the release of letters of appointment to successful candidates by the recruiting MDA (No MDA shall issue Letters of Appointment to candidates without this Certificate).
    6. Once an MDA as obtained the Certificate of Compliance, letter of appointment shall be issued to the successful candidates within three months otherwise the Certificate shall become inoperative and shall require revalidation by the Commission.
    7. Upon issuance of letter of appointment to the successful candidates, the recruiting MDA shall within three (3) months forward an appropriate return to the Commission encompassing its updated staff nominal roll.
    8. A Certificate of Compliance relates solely a specific recruitment exercise for which it is issued and only covers candidates whose names were submitted to and approved by the Commission. Hence, there shall be no replacement or substitution of such names for whatever reasons without prior written approval of the Commission.
    9. In view of the fact that the appointment of temporary, casual or contract staff (by whatsoever name called) can have adverse effect on the staff distribution pattern of an MDA, such appointments should only be carried out sparingly subject always to prior written approval of the Commission.
    10. The list of all successful candidates shall be published in at least two newspapers, circulating nationally by the MDA.
  1. WARNING
      1. Section 4(1)(e) of the FCC Act empowers the Commission to intervene in any recruitment process where the provisions of this Circular has been, is been or is likely to be contravened by any MDA.
      1. Section 16 of the same act provides that: Subject to the constitution, where any provision of this Act is inconsistent with the provisions of any other law or enactment, the provisions of this Act shall to the extent of that inconsistency prevail.
      1. Therefore,  any person or MDA (whose activities are covered under the FCC act) that carries out recruitment, in whatever form or guise, and without appropriate advertisement and observance of these guidelines and procedures shall be committing an offence under section 14, punishable under Section 15 of the FCC Act.
  1. It shall be the responsibility of all Permanent secretaries/Chief Executives of all Ministries, Extra-Ministerial Departments, Parastatals, Agencies and other federal Government establishments including Service Chiefs and Inspector-General of Police, to ensure compliance with these guidelines and procedures.
  2. In the letter and spirit of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the Federal Character Commission (Establishment, Etc.) Act Cap F7 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2010, recruiting MDAs shall invite the Federal Character Commission to “Monitor” recruitment exercises in order to ensure fairness, equity and justice in the selection process. The simple dictionary meaning of “Monitor” is “Supervisor, device for regulating……….., follow up on, check up on………, regulate the quality of…….., keep of………, one whose job is to check that things are done fairly and honestly……..”
  1. This Circular takes effect from the 1st day of September, 2014 and supersedes all previous Circulars on this subject including that of 1st September,2011 Ref.No.FCC/CHM/S.18/1.

Prof. Shuaibu Oba AbdulRaheem

(Talba Ilorin)

Executive Chairman

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