BY CAROLINE AMEH

The Senate Committee on Federal Character has expressed serious concern over what it described as grossly lopsided recruitment practices at the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), accusing the agency of failing to correct longstanding imbalances in staff distribution across the country.

During a recent public hearing, lawmakers challenged NAFDAC’s leadership over staffing figures that revealed a significant concentration of personnel from certain states, while others, particularly the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and parts of the South-South and South-East remain severely underrepresented.

Committee Chairman, Senator Allwell Onyesoh, expressed frustration at the lack of progress. 

“Even though we understand that the Federal Character principle cannot be corrected overnight, what we are seeing is unacceptable,” he said. 

“States like Anambra have as many as 130 staff, while Rivers and the FCT are clearly left behind. We appreciate your efforts, but it’s evident that more needs to be done.”

NAFDAC Director-General, Professor Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, who led the agency’s delegation to the hearing, stated that no recruitment had taken place in 2024 due to the absence of federal approval, despite available budgetary provisions.

“We are so short-staffed that one person does the work of three or four,” she said. 

“We have the funds in the budget, but are still awaiting approval.” 

She assured lawmakers that when recruitment resumes, the agency will abide by the Federal Character principle, using a chart provided by the Federal Character Commission.

Prof. Adeyeye defended her approach to inclusive recruitment, saying that she often considers near-cutoff candidates from underrepresented states. 

“If the cutoff is 60 and someone from a marginalised area scores 58, I take them because I see the bigger picture,” she said, referencing her experience in the US education system.

Her explanation, however, was met with scepticism. Senator Patrick Ndubueze cited figures showing minimal progress.

“Adamawa State staff grew from 54 to 60 between 2021 and 2024, while the FCT dropped from 18 to 17. That does not show a serious effort to fix the imbalance,” he said.

The committee demanded detailed records, including employment and resignation letters from 2021 to 2025 to support NAFDAC’s claims that resignations and retirements accounted for staff fluctuations.

One senator criticised NAFDAC’s Head of Human Resources, who joined the agency in 1995 and became HR lead in 2023. 

“You were part of the system. You watched the imbalance grow and did nothing,” the lawmaker said.

Further concerns were raised about professional bias in recruitment. While the DG argued that NAFDAC requires specialised personnel such as pharmacists, food scientists, and veterinarians who may not be evenly distributed across all states, senators rejected this justification.

“In a country with millions of unemployed science graduates, claiming there are no pharmacists in a state is hard to believe,” a senator said. 

“Even if they don’t have pharmacists, they certainly have lawyers. Federal Character must be respected.”

The committee warned that future violations of the Federal Character provisions could lead to sanctions or suspension of recruitment exercises.

“Agencies hire their cronies, and when they leave, others do the same,” a senator noted.

“That’s why some states have six staff and others over 200. It’s dangerous for national unity.”

At the end of the hearing, the committee resolved to formally urge the Presidency to expedite recruitment approval for NAFDAC, with one clear condition: equitable representation across all states must be ensured.

“Compliance is not optional, it is mandatory,” a lawmaker added.