Follow Us on Google
From Jude Chinedu, Enugu
The Federal Character Commission (FCC) has urged youths in Enugu State to stop believing that federal government jobs are reserved for those with political connections.
The commission assured them that they do not need godfathers to secure legitimate employment in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
Executive Chairman of the Commission, Hulayat Omidiran, gave the assurance, yesterday, at the Peter Eze Enugu Youth Connect 2026, organised by the FCC Commissioner representing Enugu State, Peter Eze.
The programme, themed, “Beyond quotas: Unlocking opportunities for Enugu youth through the Federal Character Commission”, was aimed at exposing young people to employment, grants, scholarships, fellowships, training, and other opportunities.
Omidiran said the Federal Character Commission was committed to ensuring that qualified Nigerians had fair access to opportunities in federal institutions, stressing that federal character should go beyond figures and quotas.
She said: “To go beyond quotas is, therefore, to move from numerical representation to meaningful participation —creating a Nigeria where every qualified citizen has a fair opportunity to contribute to national development.”
The FCC boss urged Enugu youths to equip themselves with relevant skills, embrace technology, build professional networks, and actively pursue legitimate opportunities. She also warned them to be wary of fraudulent recruitment schemes and deceptive offers, urging them to verify information before acting on advertised opportunities.
Other News
Eze, in his welcome address, said the programme was organised to bridge the information gap between government opportunities and unemployed youths. He said more than 700 federal ministries, departments, agencies, commissions, and other establishments offered employment and other opportunities across the country.
He added that many qualified youths had, however, stayed away from federal job opportunities because of the widespread belief that such positions were already shared among political godfathers before they were advertised. Eze described the belief as a major obstacle to young people’s access to opportunities, urging them to apply rather than disqualify themselves.
“No player has ever won a football match outside the pitch. Let me, therefore, use this opportunity to emphasise that you can barely get an opportunity you did not apply for. You do not need to buy a job; you need to prepare yourself,” he said.
He warned that anyone asking applicants to pay for a legitimate government job was demanding participation in an illegal act and should be reported through the appropriate channels.
Eze said the initiative would also connect youths with grants, scholarships, fellowships, and training opportunities, announcing that five participants would be selected for a full scholarship to study abroad. He explained that his motivation for the programme was to ensure that information about life-changing opportunities reached young people who needed them.
“If I know that something can change the life of a young person from Enugu State, I believe that the young person should hear about it,” he said.
Eze assured the youths that the Peter Eze Youth Connect would not be a one-day event, but would develop into a network for connecting young people with credible opportunities. He urged beneficiaries to share opportunities with others, saying: “When you rise, lift somebody.”
