Reps to investigate NSCDC, NIS recruitment exercise

The House of Representatives has resolved to investigate alleged marginalisation of some applicants in the recent recruitment exercise by the ministry of interior.

This followed a motion moved by Rep. Hafiz Ibrahim Kawu on the floor of the House on Wednesday which called for the cancellation of the recruitment exercise.

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Presenting the motion, the lawmaker called on the Civil Defence, Fire, Immigration and Prisons Services Board (CDFIPB) to immediately suspend and/or cancel the Computer Based Aptitude Test (CBAT) conducted on the 7th and 8th December 2020 for being discriminatory.

He said the Aptitude Tests was contrary to the enshrined principles of fairness and social justice.

He said the exercise should revert to the previous way which the agencies have been conducting recruitment exercises in the past.

Rep. Kawu said 190,000 candidates applied for different cadres advertised for Degree, HND, NCE, OND and SSCE holders in the ongoing recruitment exercise by the ministry.

He, however, disclosed that, out of the 190,000 candidates who applied, only 9,460 candidates were invited for the CBAT.

“The first phase of the recruitment exercise is a Computer Based Aptitude Test (CBAT) where the Civil Defence, Federal Fire Service, Immigration and Nigeria Correctional Services Board (CDFIPB) partnered with the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to conduct,” he said.

According to him, the Computer Based Aptitude Test for recruitment into the Nigeria Immigration Service was held on 7th December, 2020 while that of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) took place on 8th December, 2020 in 126 centers across the 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory.

“The computer based test only favoured candidates who can operate computers as the Civil Defence, Federal Fire Service, Immigration and Correctional Services Board (CDFIPB) did not consider citizens who may not be skilled in computer operation by providing an alternative for handwritten examinations in order to provide a level playing ground for all candidates who applied,” he said.

After debates and contributions on the motion, the House amended the prayer for the cancellation of the exercise and resolved to investigate the matter.

It mandated its Committees on Interior and Federal Character to monitor the recruitment exercise and ensure strict compliance and adherence to the principles of fairness and social justice.