The Federal Character Commission (FCC) is committed to ensuring fairness, equity, and inclusiveness in federal recruitment processes, FCC Commissioner in Oyo state, Prince Ayodeji Abass Aleshinloye, has said.

He stated this Tuesday while speaking with journalists during a monitoring exercise at the 2nd mechanised division, Adekunle Fajuyi Military Cantonment, Ibadan.

Prince Aleshinloye maintained that while government agencies are striving to ensure equal opportunities for all states and groups, applicants on their part must also fulfill their own responsibilities by complying with screening requirements.

“When opportunities are provided in the spirit of fairness and equity, applicants must also do the right thing by presenting themselves and meeting all necessary requirements,” he said.

The FCC commissioner lamented the low turnout of shortlisted applicants and the nonchalant attitude displayed by most Oyo state applicants during the ongoing Nigerian Army recruitment screening exercise in Oyo state.

He noted that out of the 941 candidates (which is already grossly inadequate for Oyo state) shortlisted for the screening exercise, only 472 reported for screening.

Advising applicants whose documents require corrections or updates to urgently take the necessary steps to regularize them, the FCC Commissioner urged such candidates to liaise with their parents and guardians to obtain the required original documents, noting that many applicants arrived at the screening venue without complete documentation.

Prince Aleshinloye stressed that more than half of the shortlisted candidates failed to present their original credentials, while several others had discrepancies in their documents that required adjustments. 

While warning that failure by the affected candidates to provide the necessary documents could lead to disqualification from the exercise, he called on traditional rulers, religious leaders, local government chairmen, and community stakeholders to help disseminate information about the recruitment exercise to the grassroots and most especially the subsequent exercises to ensure that youth in Oyo state do not miss out on available opportunities.