The Federal Character Commission Commissioner representing Enugu State, Peter Eze, has urged youths in the state to stop believing that Federal Government jobs are reserved for those with political connections, saying qualified applicants can secure opportunities by following due process.
Eze stated this on Thursday at the Peter Eze Youth Connect workshop at the International Conference Centre, Enugu, with the theme, ‘Beyond quotas: Unlocking opportunities for Enugu youths through the Federal Character Commission.’
He said widespread misinformation that federal jobs had already been shared before they were advertised had discouraged many qualified youths from applying.
“One of the major reasons for this unfortunate situation is the existence of generational fallacies, erroneous impressions and misleading assumptions that advertised or publicised Federal Public Service and other public service jobs have already been shared or given out even before they are publicly advertised,” Eze said.
He urged the youths not to disqualify themselves through fear or assumptions that recruitment outcomes had already been predetermined, stressing that applicants must first put themselves forward for consideration.
“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 do not apply for,” he said.
Eze said the FCC had a constitutional responsibility to promote equitable representation in federal institutions, noting that more than 700 federal ministries, departments, agencies, commissions and other establishments offer employment and related opportunities.
“You do not need to buy a job; you need to prepare yourself,” he said, warning youths against middlemen and anyone demanding payment for legitimate government employment.
The commissioner said the workshop was also designed to expose participants to grants, scholarships, fellowships, training programmes and other opportunities, adding that five participants would be selected for full scholarships to study abroad.
He said the initiative would be sustained beyond the workshop to create a network through which youths could access and share information on legitimate opportunities.
“Let nobody make you believe that you need a godfather before you can succeed. Get the information. Follow the process. Prepare yourself. Apply. Compete. And pursue your opportunity,” Eze said.