A former head of Nigeria’s public employment watchdog, the Federal Character Commission (FCC), has backed current efforts to stamp out widespread corruption and illegal fee-charging for government jobs in the West African nation.
Professor Shuaibu Oba AbdulRaheem, a former executive chairman of the commission, praised the body’s current chief executive, Hulayat Motunrayo Omidiran, during a visit to the agency’s headquarters in the capital, Abuja, on Friday.
Allegations of “job racketeering”—where officials demand bribes or extortionate fees from desperate jobseekers in exchange for public sector positions—have long plagued Nigeria’s federal ministries, departments, and agencies.
”The Commission must remain courageous and committed to its mandate,” Prof AbdulRaheem said, urging the current board to remain steadfast in tackling corrupt recruitment practices and protecting equal access to public service roles.
The FCC is a constitutional body established to ensure the equitable distribution of public posts and socio-economic infrastructure across Nigeria’s 36 states and ethnic groups, preventing any single region from dominating the federal civil service.
Receiving her predecessor, Ms Omidiran pledged that the commission would intensify its crackdown on recruitment scams while maintaining transparent hiring processes across government departments.
”His visit and words of encouragement reinforce our resolve to remain focused on our statutory responsibilities,” Ms Omidiran said, adding that the agency remains committed to balancing regional quota systems with merit-based recruitment.
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