FCC will promote equity without compromising merit — Chairman

Acting Chairman of the Federal Character Commission (FCC), Hon. Kayode Oladele, has said that the agency will not compromise merit in the performance of one of its core mandates of promoting equity in recruitments by government bodies.

He stated that under Section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution, the FCC had the obligation of collaborating with all public institutions to ensure fairness and balance in recruitments, but stressed that in meeting the requirement, the agency would not compromise merit.

Oladele, a former member of the House of Representatives, spoke in Abuja when the Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), DIG Hashimu Argungu (retd.), paid him a courtesy visit at the FCC’s headquarters in Abuja.

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The FCC said on Thursday that during the visit, Oladele advocated for a diverse and representative police force, which he said was essential not only to building public trust but also to strengthening national security and social harmony.

“When communities see themselves reflected in those who serve them, trust is built, cooperation increases, and feelings of marginalisation are reduced”, the chairman told his visitors.

On the issue of merit, he said, “The FCC is open to forging strategic partnerships that promote equity without compromising merit.”

He called on all MDAs to borrow a leaf from the PSC, noting that such engagements were a testament to inter-agency cooperation and a shared constitutional duty to uphold fairness, justice, and national cohesion across board.

Oladele further highlighted that the commission’s mandate also extended to private and non-governmental sectors where public interest and diversity must be protected.

Speaking earlier, Argungu underscored the importance of transparency, equity, and accountability in the forthcoming police recruitments to be carried out by the PSC, adding that no form of sharp practices, waivers, or discretionary decisions would be condoned.

He informed Oladele that though the commencement date for the recruitment of Cadet Assistant Superintendents of Police (ASP) and Inspectors had yet to be disclosed, collaboration with the FCC was crucial to ensure a credible, inclusive, and merit-based process.

The PSC earlier in June, announced that it was planning to recruit 30,000 cadets and constables into the Nigeria Police Force this year.