The Federal Character Commission (FCC) has warned ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) against carrying out recruitment, promotions or other personnel exercises without involving the commission, stressing that violators will face sanctions.
The warning was issued during an interactive meeting between the FCC and the management of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) in Abuja.
Speaking at the meeting, Peter Eze, Chairman of the FCC Committee on Works, Transport and Aviation and Federal Commissioner representing Enugu State, said the commission is adopting a more proactive strategy to ensure strict compliance with the federal character principle.
According to him, the commission will no longer wait until complaints arise before taking action.
“We no longer want to be reactive to issues involving MDAs. We want to be proactive. We have reached a stage where we want to be strategic rather than merely administrative,” Eze said.
He explained that the meeting focused on recruitment, promotions and monitoring, areas where the FCC had not been fully involved in the past.
“Going forward, if such activities are carried out without involving the Federal Character Commission, we will take appropriate action,” he warned.
Eze commended the management of the Nigerian Railway Corporation for embracing the commission’s renewed enforcement approach and pledged continued collaboration to ensure future recruitment exercises reflect fair representation across all states.
Responding, NRC Managing Director, Kayode Opeifa, described the meeting as productive and reaffirmed the corporation’s commitment to complying with the federal character principle.
“If there is any federal agency that symbolises national integration, it is the Nigerian Railway Corporation,” Opeifa said.
He also noted that the corporation is gradually deploying technology to improve operations despite funding challenges.
The Chairperson of the FCC, Hulayat Omidiran, said the commission prefers collaboration over confrontation but would not hesitate to sanction agencies that deliberately violate constitutional provisions.
“I have always maintained that the FCC is not a punitive organisation. My approach is to collaborate with everyone. It is only when an agency deliberately refuses to comply that we will invoke the constitutional provisions empowering us to sanction offenders,” she said.
Omidiran also disclosed that the commission has improved its approval process, noting that complete applications are now approved on the same day to enhance efficiency.
The FCC maintained that strict compliance with the federal character principle remains essential to promoting fairness, national unity and equal opportunities across Nigeria’s public service.
