The Federal Character Commission (FCC) has warned Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) against violating recruitment rules, stressing that all appointments in the public service must reflect fairness, equity, and inclusivity.

The Acting Executive Chairman of the Commission, Hon. Kayode Oladele, said in a statement issued in Abuja that the guidelines are constitutional safeguards designed to promote Nigeria’s unity and stability.

“The 1999 Constitution and the FCC Act place on the Commission the duty to promote, monitor, and enforce compliance with the principles of fairness in appointments. In line with this, no MDA is permitted to issue letters of appointment without first obtaining the Commission’s Certificate of Compliance,” Oladele stated.

The Commission reiterated the recruitment rules, which include: Vacancies must be identified cadre by cadre and spread equitably after a joint meeting with FCC, All vacancies must be advertised in at least two national newspapers, with six weeks minimum for applications, online and hard-copy submissions are both accepted, no application or processing fees shall be charged, Only qualified candidates should be shortlisted, on a State-by-State basis, with deliberate inclusion of women and persons with disabilities.

Oladele added that while public training institutions such as the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON), Centre for Management Development (CMD), and Public Service Institute of Nigeria (PSIN) may be engaged to conduct aptitude tests, recruitment exercises must not be outsourced to private consulting firms.

Connecting the guidelines to the administration’s vision, Oladele emphasized that the FCC’s enforcement role directly supports President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

“The Renewed Hope Agenda is clear about fairness, equity, and inclusivity in governance. By ensuring equal opportunities in the federal service, we are making every Nigerian feel a sense of belonging, which is critical to our national unity,” he said.

He further warned against abuses of the system, stressing that the Federal Character principle cannot be used to smuggle in unqualified candidates. “The best and most competent from each state must be considered. This is how fairness and merit can coexist under the Renewed Hope Agenda,” Oladele affirmed.

Oladele concluded that these measures are about more than recruitment. They are about stability and justice.

“When fairness guides our appointments, when no part of the country feels excluded, we are reducing grievances and strengthening cohesion. That is the true spirit of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he concluded. (The Nation)