Increasing re-orientation programmes by Local Government Councils targeted at ensuring massive youth participation in government recruitment exercises in Nigeria, has been identified as a major panacea capable of curbing the prevalent youth restiveness in the nation.

The Federal Commissioner representing Lagos State at the Federal Character Commission, Abuja, Hon. Abdul Wasiu Kayode Bawa-Allah disclosed this while addressing the newly elected Chairmen of Local Government Councils and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) during a retreat held in Lagos.

Bawa-Allah explained that the councils remain veritable stakeholders that could address unrest and agitation if necessary measures are put in place aimed at giving adequate support to the teeming youths, thereby enabling them participate fully in the recruitment exercises, occupying the spaces allotted to Lagos indigenes at the Federal level.

According to him, “We, however, have observed that the participation and inclusion of our Indigenes in the general employment opportunity into the military and paramilitary; health care and some educational institutions, is far below par.

Decisions about the security and distribution of this nation’s resources will be taken by those employed into these agencies, and where we are not adequately represented owing to our lapses, cries of marginalization, complaints about being sidestepped, and a growing sense of non-inclusion, will be a fait accompli”, he decried.

Explaining the core mandates of the Federal Character Commission at ensuring proportional sharing of appointments, promotion of vacancies at directorate levels, without sacrificing merit, and the provision of socio-economic amenities, infrastructural facilities at all levels of government nationwide, the commissioner added that the commission has improved on its advocacy activities to the state- based higher echelon and key policy making institutions.

“We can therefore, at this juncture, conclude that it is unarguably evident in the light of the exposition today, that Federal Character is genuinely poised to quell agitations at all levels. This, it will continue to do by creating a balance in the existing imbalances, and institutionalizing sustainable fairness, equity and justice in the sharing of posts, socio-economic amenities and infrastructural facilities”, the commissioner submitted.

Positing that the Commission was empowered to carry out staff auditing at any level of government in order to check or advise on the correction of the imbalances that may exist, he expressed that the activities of some erring MDAs were being monitored to correct some anomalies.

He sought for the unwavering support of the council chairmen to enable qualified indigenes benefit from the few employment opportunities in these economic-challenging times, adding that the State has since been contributing to the nation’s wealth in no small measure through its rich and diverse socio-economic activities.