Ebonyi Lawmaker Cries Foul Over FRSC Recruitment List, Alleges Non Indigenes Took State's Slots.

A federal lawmaker from Ebonyi State has raised alarm over the ongoing recruitment exercise of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), alleging that the slots meant for Ebonyi indigenes have been hijacked by non-indigenes using forged documents.

Chinedu Ogah, who represents Ikwo/Ezza South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, made the allegation in a statement on Friday, calling on the Corps Marshal and Chief Executive Officer of the FRSC, Shehu Mohammed, to immediately review the list and correct what he described as a gross anomaly.

Ogah, who chairs the House Committee on Reformatory Institutions, said the names that appeared under the Ebonyi quota in the list released by the FRSC were not genuine indigenes of the state. He alleged that some of the candidates secured their places using fake identification certificates, thereby shutting out real Ebonyi sons and daughters from the opportunity.

"This is unacceptable. It is a short-changing of Ebonyi State in the recruitment exercise and a clear violation of the federal character principle," Ogah said. He explained that the federal character principle was designed to ensure that every state enjoys equitable and genuine representation in recruitment exercises carried out by federal agencies, ministries, departments, and parastatals.

The lawmaker challenged the FRSC to organise a physical parade of the candidates it enlisted as Ebonyi indigenes if it doubted his claim. According to him, such a parade would expose the fact that many of them are carrying fake identification certificates.

"If the Corps argues this, there should be a physical parade of those candidates they enlisted as Ebonyi people. Let us come and show them that those candidates are carrying fake identification certificates," he said.

Ogah alleged that over 80 per cent of those enlisted for Ebonyi State in the ongoing exercise are not indigenes of the state. He insisted that the Ebonyi quota cannot be handed over to people from other states while genuine indigenes are left out.

He urged the FRSC to immediately enlist real Ebonyi people into the recruitment exercise and to obey the federal character rules, which stipulate that every employment must be done equitably and genuinely.

"They should not tag people they enlisted as Ebonyi people because they are not our people. The Corps should immediately enlist real Ebonyi people into the ongoing recruitment exercise because the Ebonyi quota can't be given to those who are not indigenes of the state," he said.

The lawmaker's intervention adds to the growing concerns about transparency in federal recruitment exercises, with many states repeatedly accusing agencies of bypassing the federal character principle. It remains to be seen whether the FRSC will heed the call for a review of the Ebonyi list or respond to the allegations of forged certificates. For now, Ogah insists that justice must be done to ensure that genuine indigenes of Ebonyi State are not denied their rightful place in the recruitment.