The Senate Committee on Federal Character and Intergovernmental Affairs has intensified its investigation into alleged recruitment irregularities at the National Pension Commission, uncovering significant imbalances in staff distribution across local government areas, states, and regions.
According media report, a parliamentary inquiry has revealed that Nigeria’s pension regulator has been hiring staff unfairly, with some areas getting far too many jobs whilst others are left out completely.
At a public hearing held on Thursday in Abuja, the committee, chaired by Senator Allwell Onyesoh (Rivers East), according to The Punch report, queried PENCOM’s non-compliance with the Federal Character Principle, following concerns raised by stakeholders about marginalisation in the commission’s hiring practices.
The Federal Character Principle is a constitutional rule that requires government agencies to ensure fair representation from all parts of Nigeria when recruiting staff.
This was disclosed in a statement issued by Onyesoh’s Special Adviser on Publicity and Communications, Peter Oriri.
Appearing before the committee, the Director-General of PENCOM, Omolola Oworonran, alongside the Executive Secretary and other senior officials of the commission, in the report, admitted that disparities exist in regional staff representation. She acknowledged that some local governments and states are significantly overrepresented, while others remain underrepresented.
The commission’s hiring records since 2021 show shocking imbalances. According to documents reviewed by the committee, PENCOM’s recruitment since its last exercise in 2021 revealed notable discrepancies. For instance, Delta State reportedly has 16 staff members, with six from a single local government area. Ebonyi has six, with four from one LGA; Edo has 12, with five from one LGA; and Gombe has 19, with 11 from one LGA.
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These figures mean that some small local areas have multiple PENCOM employees whilst entire states may have none at all.
Senator Onyesoh stressed that future recruitment must focus more on equitable distribution across local governments, rather than states or geopolitical zones, to ensure grassroots inclusivity. He commended PENCOM for appearing before the committee but also criticised the role of certain federal institutions in undermining recruitment transparency.
“Each time there is a recruitment exercise, the process is often sabotaged by other government bodies like the IPPIS, Office of the Head of Service, Office of the Accountant General, and even the Federal Character Commission, who all demand their own quota. This practice must stop,” Onyesoh was quoted in the media report.
Other members of the committee echoed similar concerns. Senator Osita Ngwu (Enugu West) declared that no ministry, department, or agency had fully complied with the Federal Character guidelines based on the committee’s review of submitted documents. He warned that future appointments in breach of the guidelines would be scrutinised and potentially nullified.
Senator Amos Yohanna (Adamawa North) expressed strong dissatisfaction with PENCOM’s recruitment records, describing them as “the worst” seen so far. He insisted that the commission must take immediate steps to address the imbalance.
In her response, Oworonran noted that underrepresented states—including Rivers and Jigawa—have been identified and that the commission would give priority to qualified candidates from those areas in upcoming recruitment cycles. She also pledged to maintain open communication with the Senate Committee on all future recruitment exercises.
