You don’t need know anybody to be employed into sensitive positions in government; the jobs will be given strictly on the basis of merit.
These were the words of President Goodluck Jonathan as he turned his back on those lobbying for the vacant positions of the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) as he directed that the positions be advertised.
President Jonathan said the government will no longer make appointments based on geo-political zones and political leanings. He made this known while present the presidential awards to the winners of the YouWin scheme on Thursday in Abuja.
The President said he had directed the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to advertise the vacant FIRS position to enable qualified Nigerians to compete for it. He gave the assurance that the job will be gotten on merit.
He also said the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, had been directed to do same with the vacant NHIS job, as he claimed some people had been scheming for the two posts.
“This administration is committed to stopping a situation where a Nigerian must know somebody who knows somebody before he gets something” he said, affirming strongly that “this situation must end and we are beginning to demonstrate that even in our political appointments.”
“Some of the political offices have to be advertised for all Nigerians to compete so that we select the best” he said.
“Recently, we wanted to appoint the managing director and executive directors that will be in charge of our Sovereign Wealth Fund and they were advertised to all Nigerians. You don’t need to know Mr. President to get the job as long as you are competent” stated the president.
The FIRS boss seat became vacant last week following the resignation of Mrs. Ifueko Omoigui-Okauru while Dr. Waziri Dogo-Muhammed quited the NHIS after the expiration of his tenure last month.
