Filling Rivers Quota In MDAs

Recently, the Rivers State Coordinator of the Federal Character Commission (FCC), Mr Henry Bolou Owonaro revealed that the state is one of the least represented States in the federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). He specifically lamented that the state’s employment quota has consistently not been filled in the MDAs for many decades, thereby making it difficult for the state to fully participate at all levels of decision making at the federal level.
To buttress this anomaly, Owonaro disclosed that the state currently occupies about 2.2 per cent of appointive and employment positions at the federal MDAs as against the three per cent explicitly prescribed by relevant laws. He noted that although the enabling legislation provides for 75 per cent mandatory employment by federal MDAs of indigenes of host communities for grade levels 01 to 06 positions, recruitment records and practices over the years have always been implemented in the breach.
Owonaro regretted that Rivers State, alongside Bayelsa State, had their highest peak of employment in the federal MDAs between 2011 and 2013, during the Dr Goodluck Jonathan Presidency. He explained that during the period, indigenes from the affected minority states in the Niger Delta had their employment quotas almost filled, and competed more favourably during recruitment exercises by MDAs.
The state coordinator consequently revealed that the commission has commenced sensitisation of some agencies on the need to ensure that federal character is reflected in the implementation of their employment policies.
The Tide agrees with the sentiments expressed by Owonaro, and reckons that this conundrum has been the norm, and has negatively affected the development of the Niger Delta states for decades. We note that the situation is even worst amongst multinational oil and gas companies whose employment policies are not regulated by the FCC Act.
We are aware that for many years, international oil companies (IOCs) as well as indigenous mega firms operating in Rivers, Bayelsa and Delta States literarily import menial workers, including cleaners, messengers, gardeners, drivers, carpenters, welders, clerks and other low cadre personnel from other parts of the country, especially from the Western and Northern states, to occupy positions meant for indigenes.
To worsen this debilitating quagmire, even some few greedy influential politicians, traditional rulers and opinion leaders, among others, have been found to give out chances meant for Rivers people to those from other sections of the country for selfish and mundane considerations.
The Tide is disturbed by the annoying fact that deliberate impersonation, and oftentimes, false declaration of identity of dubious and corrupt persons have immensely contributed to the denial of qualified and able-bodied Rivers people of positions meant for them in MDAs.
Indeed, outright refusal by shortlisted candidates from the state to accept appointment and or employment outside the state is a further cause for concern, and has added to the disadvantaged employment position of the state in the comity of states.
We insist that this systemic denial of Rivers people of positions meant for them in MDAs is totally unacceptable. We say so because this deliberate pattern has excluded many Rivers people from occupying positions the law had specifically reserved to empower and engage them in ways that enable them contribute meaningful to national development.
Perhaps, it would be pertinent to call on the FCC and other relevant authorities, especially the National Assembly to compel the various federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies to comply with extant legislation on recruitment of persons into vacant positions.
We also task the National Assembly to amend the enabling legislation to empower FCC with oversight powers to enforce compliance with Nigerian laws in employment of 75 per cent of persons from host communities into positions on Grade Levels 01-06 by the private sector, especially IOCs, and help douse tension in the state and by extension, the region.
While we regret the under-representation of Rivers State in the various MDAs, we also urge qualified Rivers sons and daughters not to shy away from applying and following through with the recruitment processes by MDAs so that Rivers positions are not given to other Nigerians at the end of the day. This way, Rivers interest would be fully represented at the roundtables where critical decisions about the nation are taken.
Besides, the much-talked about neglect and abandonment of Rivers State in siting and execution of development infrastructure projects would also be a thing of the past when employment quota and appointive positions meant for Rivers State are filled by competent and qualified indigenes of the state. The trend must be reversed. There can be no better time than now.