Reps want Tinubu to lift embargo on recruitment in Federal Government agencies

The House of Representatives has urged President Bola Tinubu to lift the embargo on employment into agencies of government.

The call was sequel to a unanimous adoption of a motion by Rep. Francis Waive (APC-Delta) at plenary on Wednesday.

Moving the motion earlier, Waive said that the immediate past administration placed a ban on employment in agencies of the Federal Government.

He said that the ban became necessary amid the recession that hit the economy in the country due to the huge drop in the international price of crude oil at the time and Covid 19 pandemic.

Waive recalled that the 9th House of Representatives passed a resolution calling on the then President to lift the ban on employment.

According to him, there are reports on social media that the ban had been lifted but there is no evidence of any employment taking place whatsoever.

“For several years, there has not been any employment in the Civil Service of the Federation, thereby creating a shortage of manpower, especially in the junior and middle-level cadre as officers are promoted and some retire and others die.

“Some agencies have resorted to engaging casual staff who are paid from their Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) and other sources.

“While it is sad that these casual staffs are non-pensionable, the act of spending government money without appropriation by the legislature for whatever purpose is illegal,” he said.