FCC raises alarm over low turnout at army recruitment screening in Oyo

The current ongoing recruitment and screening process of the Nigerian Army in Oyo State has witnessed a poor attendance of the screened candidates, creating worry to the Federal Character Commission (FCC) on the performance of the state in the screening process.

According to the FCC, out of 941 screened candidates, only 472 of them attended the screening at the 2 Mechanised Division, Adekunle Fajuyi Military Cantonment, Ibadan.

Addressing the issue during the monitoring of the screening process at the venue, the FCC Commissioner for Oyo State, Prince Ayodeji Abass Aleshinloye stated that the attendance is not encouraging considering the number of screened candidates, especially a state like Oyo.

This problem has been attributed to the reluctance of most candidates to attend the screening process and also the inability of some candidates to produce complete documents.

According to Aleshinloye, most of the applicants that participated in the process did not come with authentic certificates, whereas some had discrepancies in their documentation which needed corrections.

He advised applicants who are affected to regularise their documents as soon as possible and collaborate with their parents or guardians in securing the authentic ones so as to avoid being disqualified.

He added that candidates who do not meet the documentation requirement will have no chance of proceeding in the recruitment process.

He further urged traditional rulers, religious leaders, local government authorities and other stakeholders in the community to mount an intensive awareness campaign at the grassroots level in order to ensure high participation in future recruitment exercises.

Aleshinloye re-affirmed the commission’s policy of ensuring fairness, equity and inclusiveness in federal recruitment, adding that applicants should also play their roles by meeting all the requirements of the screening process.

“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.

He further encouraged young people in the state to take advantage of future opportunities in the military, paramilitary agencies and the police by participating actively and diligently throughout the recruitment process.