HB 53 : Federal Character Commission Act (Amendment) Bill, 2015

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infograph

Sponsor:

Hon. Musa Adar Sarkin

State: SOKOTO
Party: ALL PROGRESSIVES CONGRESS

Bill Status: Awaiting Committee Report

  • First Reading: 22/10/2015
  • Second Reading: 26/04/2016
  • Committee Referred To: Committee on Federal Character
  • Consolidated with:Consolidated with HB 176, 272, 338
  • Date Reported out of Committee:
  • Third Reading:
  • Reconsidered and Passed:

Bill Analysis:

SHORT TITLE

Federal Character Commission Act (Amendment) Bill, 2015

OBJECTIVE

The Bill seeks to ensure that existing vacancies above grade level 10 or its equivalent in Ministries, Departments and Agencies are not filled with persons from outside the affected Ministries, Departments and Agencies except where there is no qualified person in order to avoid stagnation, redundancy and encourage effective service delivery.

SIMILAR BILLS

There are 3 other Bills that have been consolidated with this Bill, namely –

Federal Character Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2016 (HB 338) sponsored by Hon. Edward G. Pwajok; Federal Character Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2015 (HB 176) sponsored by Hon Peter Akpatason; and Federal Character Commission (Amendment) Bill 2015 (HB 272) sponsored by Hon. Ahmed Idris. However, each Bill is proposing a different amendment to the principal Act.

AMENDMENTS PROPOSED BY THE BILL

Federal Character Commission Act, 2004 (Principal Act)

Federal Character Commission Act (Amendment) Bill 2015 (HB 53) sponsored by Hon. Musa Sarkin Adar

Section 4 (1)(g) –

“to ensure that all Ministries and Extra‐Ministerial Departments, agencies and other bodies affected by this Act have a clear criteria indicating conditions to be fulfilled and comprehensive guidelines on the procedure for‐

(i) determining eligibility and the procedure for employment in the public and private sectors of the economy

(ii) the provision of social services, goods and socio‐economic amenities in Nigeria; “

 

Clause 2 of the Bill seeks to amend Section 4(1) of the Principal Act by adding paragraph after (g).

 

(h) “to ensure that all Ministries, Departments and Agencies do not fill any existing vacancy above grade level 10 or its equivalent with persons outside the affected ministry, department or agency, except where there is no qualified person for the post”

 

CONCLUDING ISSUES

This Bill seeks to empower the Commission to ensure that existing vacancies above grade level 10 in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA) are not filled with anyone outside the particular MDA where the vacancy exists. The exception is where no one within that MDA is qualified for the job required. While this amendment can be said to encourage the use of internal staff to fill vacant positions and motivate staff, it may not boost infusion of new knowledge and skills through external recruitment.

This Bill is one of the four consolidated Bills (see list above) and this analysis is based on the Bill before consolidation.

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