Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri has urged the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) and other federal agencies to review their recruitment policies to ensure equitable representation across states.
Speaking on Tuesday in Yenagoa during a courtesy visit by Mrs. Abolupe Oladoyin-Bewaji, Assistant Comptroller-General of Immigration (Zone G), Diri — represented by his deputy, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo — said the current policy disadvantages Bayelsa because of its small number of local government areas (LGAs).
He explained that the federal practice of allocating job slots based on the number of LGAs per state denies smaller states fair opportunities.
“Bayelsa, with only eight local government areas — the fewest in the country — gets fewer job opportunities compared to states with more LGAs,” Diri said. “For instance, if 10 slots are allotted per LGA, a state with 30 LGAs gets hundreds, while Bayelsa ends up with just 80. That’s clearly unfair.”
He called for special concessions in federal recruitment to correct the imbalance and uphold the principles of true federal character.
Responding, Mrs. Oladoyin-Bewaji said her visit aimed to strengthen collaboration with the Bayelsa Government and acknowledged the state’s strategic role in the oil and gas sector. She assured that the NIS would continue to uphold professionalism and equity in its operations.
