River Basin Authorities in trouble over Federal Character fraud

The House of Representatives Committee on Federal Character has launched investigation into the compliance level with the balancing provision in the Nigerian constitution in the recruitment of staff by the nation’s twelve River Basin Development Authorities.

The Ahmed Idris Wase-led Committee had Thursday grilled the Managing Directors of the Hadejia-Jama’a River Basin Authority and the Upper-Niger Basin Development Authority on the agencies’ staff strength and recruitment process as it relates to federal character principles.

The former Deputy Speaker stated that all staff recruitment in all the ministries, departments, and agencies of the federal government must reflect the principles of federal character, adding that there is a need to promote national unity in these entities.

While grilling the Managing Director of the Hadejia-Jama’a River Basin Authority, Mr. Mahmud Dankwali, the lawmaker said that there is an anomaly in the agency’s documents submitted to the committee on its staff recruitment process, informing that the lopsidedness in the latest recruitment of staff by the agency does not reflect the geo-political zones of the country.

Responding to the queries, Dankwali, revealed to the probe panel that the staff strength of the agency is 275, in which the Northwest has the highest number. He said that Kano State has the highest number with 155 staff, while Katsina has 4 staff, Kebbi 2, Edo 1, Anambra 1, and other states have no staff. He also hinted that the last recruitment of 190 staff in the agency was done in 2018, adding that all the staff were recruited based on geo-political zones.

The Committee also grilled the Managing Director of the Upper-Niger River Basin Development Authority, Prof. M.A. Ali, on the agency’s staff strength and recruitment of staff, and demanded relevant documents.