Lawmakers have warned that secret recruitments into Ministries, Department, and Agencies (MDAs) of the federal government might soon become a criminal offence with severe punishment.
The house of assembly stated that any recruitment by any MDAs without publishing the vacancy would become illegal and attract a fine if the bill becomes law.
The bill was proposed in the prohibition of secret recruitment in the federal civil service bill 2020 sponsored by Teejay Yusuf.
The bill, which is awaiting second reading, is titled, ‘A bill for an act 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 other matters connected therewith.’
The lawmaker said the bill 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 organisations if such vacancies have not been published.
The bill read in part: “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.
“Accordingly, 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 publicised before the commencement of the recruitment exercise.
“The publication referred to in Subsection 2 shall be in two national newspapers. 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 one hundred thousand Naira (N100,000) or to imprisonment for a term of not more than six months or to both.”
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