House of Reps urges Tinubu to lift the embargo on employment

The House of Representatives has called on President Bola Tinubu to lift the embargo on employment.

The House made the plea at the plenary on Wednesday following the adoption of a motion moved by Francis Ejiroghene Waive.

Moving the motion, the lawmaker said the immediate past administration, during the recession, due to a huge drop in the international price of crude oil and the COVID-19 pandemic, placed an embargo on employment in Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the federal government.

He recalled that the 9th House passed a resolution calling on the then President to lift the embargo on employment.

Waive noted that the reports on social media claimed that the embargo had been lifted but there was no evidence of any employment taking place whatsoever.

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

The lawmaker added that some Ministries, Departments and Agencies have resorted to engaging casual staff who are paid from their Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) and other sources.

Waive noted that while it is sad that the casual staff are non-pensionable, the act of spending government money without appropriation by the legislature for whatever purpose is illegal.

He expressed concern that the withdrawal of subsidy on petroleum products has increased the hardship of jobless Nigerian youths.

“Lifting of the embargo on employment and going ahead to employ young qualified Nigerians should be a part of Mr. President’s rescue measures as some of the savings from the removal of the subsidy could be used in this direction, the lawmaker said.

The House, therefore, urged, “the President to lift the embargo on employment in Ministries, Departments and of the Federal Government.”

It also urged the Federal Civil Service Commission and such relevant bodies to immediately act upon Mr President’s directive in this regard.

The House mandated the Committees on Public Service Matters, Labour and Employment (when constituted) to ensure compliance and report back within four weeks for further legislative action.