In a move to restore fairness and equity to the public sector, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Federal Character Commission (FCC) have agreed to establish a Joint Task Force to combat job racketeering and nepotism in federal government agencies.
The decision was announced on Thursday following a strategic meeting between the ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu (SAN), and the Acting Executive Chairman of the FCC, Dr. Kayode Oledele, at the FCC headquarters in Abuja.
Dr. Aliyu stated that the collaboration is a direct response to the surge in complaints from young Nigerians who are being unfairly denied employment.
“We are seeing a lot of job racketeering in the public sector,” he said, highlighting that ICPC receives daily reports of jobs being filled through backdoor methods.
He provided stark examples of the deep-seated imbalance, including a case where one official allegedly allocated 94 job slots to their state, resulting in a single geopolitical zone receiving 189 slots in just two years. Another instance revealed an agency where one state accounts for over 65% of the total staff.
“Is this fair?” Dr. Aliyu queried, emphasizing that such imbalances erode public trust and create injustice. He announced that the proposed task force will monitor recruitment processes, share intelligence, and work to prevent employment abuses before they happen. Both agencies have agreed to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) within the next two weeks to formalize the partnership.
Dr. Oledele welcomed the initiative, confirming the FCC’s commitment to the collaboration. He noted that the FCC has already directed all government agencies to submit their nominal rolls for a “character balance index” assessment to ensure equitable distribution of opportunities.
“When one state has more job slots than others, it creates injustice. And injustice to one is injustice to all,” Dr. Oledele said. He stressed that the joint effort is essential to building a fair and just society for the next generation.
