National Assembly Insists On Computer Test For Employment Into Para-Military Services

The House of Representatives has given a go-ahead to the Board of some Para-Military organizations to base their recruitment on the ability of applicants to take and pass the Computer Based Test (CBAT).

The House resolution followed the report of its Committee on Interior, Federal Character and Reformatory Institutions, which held hearings on a motion for intervention by Representative Hafiz Ibrahim Kawu, representing Tarauni federal constituency in Kano State.

Rep Kawu had moved a motion against the Computer Based Aptitude Test (CBAT) used for the exercise, insisting that “the recruitment only favoured candidates who can operate computers as the Civil Defence, Federal Fire Service, Immigration and Correctional Services Board (CDFIPB) did not consider citizens who may not be skilled in computer operation by providing an alternative for handwritten examination in order to provide for a level playing field for all candidates who applied for the recruitment.”

In its resolution, the House disclosed that the CBAT used for the recruitment “was to add value to the Civil Defense, Fire, Immigration and Prison Services Board’s recruitment process and also ensure transparency and fairness.”

According to the lawmakers, “the method (CBAT) employed by the Civil Defense, Fire, Immigration and Prison Services Board (CDFIPB) is faster, seamless, less cumbersome, devoid of almost 100% manipulation and above all in compliance with ICT since the whole world is embracing ICT and our youth and Nigeria by extension, should not be left out.”

The resolution affects the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, Nigeria Fire Service, Nigeria Immigration Services and the Nigeria Correctional Services.

The House also took a different position from the motion moved by Rep Kawu who had accused the Board of the paramilitary services of bias in the recruitment process.

In the document obtained exclusively by THE WHISTLER, the lawmakers asked the legislator to “ensure there is no delay in the assumption of duty of these officers who will form part of the solution to the internal security challenges the country is faced with and also reduce the overstretched labour market.”

The Civil Defense, Fire, Immigration and Prison Services Board (CDFIPB) on the 7th and 8 of December 2020, conducted a Computer Based Aptitude Test (CBAT) for applicants for recruitment into the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Services, Federal Fire Service and the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS).

The move by the Board of the services was however suspended by the House of Representatives following a motion by Reps Kawu who urged the House to intervene in the ongoing recruitment.

Following the motion, the House by a resolution on 16 December, 2020, mandated its committee on Interior, Federal Character and Reformatory Institutions to monitor the recruitment and ensure strict compliance and adherence to the principles of fairness and social justice and report back in six weeks.

A breakdown of the figures as contained in the report shows that 326,606 persons applied for employment into the NIS with 45,323 sitting for the Computer Based Aptitude Test (CBAT) in December 2020.

This is as the 1,477,042 who registered for employment into the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), was scaled down to 746,762 as some applicants did not meet the required age and height advertised.

The report further indicated that of the 113,105 candidates shortlisted by the NSCDC, only 53,116 across the country sat for the CBAT in December 2020.