‘Illegal recruitment bane of civil service’

Recruitment of unqualified candidates through illegal and unauthorised means will bring the civil service to a comatose, an anti-corruption expert has said.

In a workshop organised by the Anti-Corruption Transparency Unit (ACTU) of the Ministry of Works and Housing in Abuja, a former Director of the Anti-Corruption Unit of ICPC, Kuatsea Justin, said if the practice was not checked, the civil service would not function effectively.

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Justin said despite embargoes on recruitment, directors of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) still found ways to give jobs to families and friends, noting that; “this is promoting nepotism in the system.”

He, therefore, urged the Federal Government to enact laws that protected whistle blowers without which he said the fight against corruption would be lost.

He also advised whistle blowers to be discreet in information sharing to protect themselves and avoid being easy targets.

In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works and Housing, Ernest Umakihe, stressed the need for every ministry to have an active ACTU to enlighten their staff on corruption, as well as guide them in budget implementation.