President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday directed the Minister of Finance and Health to advertise the vacant positions of chief executives of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) for competent Nigerians to apply.
Jonathan gave the directive when he handed over awards to six winners of "You Win Programme" at a Presidential Award Ceremony in Abuja.
The President said that all vacant federal offices would now be advertised to enable competent Nigerians apply for such jobs.
He said that henceforth, all appointments into sensitive government offices would be based on merit, adding that the era of Godfatherism was over.
"We have decided that some of these political offices will be advertised for all Nigerians to compete and we will select the best.
"Recently, we wanted to appoint the MD and the 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. "
Jonathan said that the position of the Executive Secretary, National Health Insurance Scheme, and that of the Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), would soon be advertised to enable government select competent persons for the two offices.
He said the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Mrs Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, had already been directed to set up bodies for the selection of the best candidates to fill the vacant positions.
"And recently, I have directed the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and the Hon. Minister of Finance to advertise two positions, Executive Chairman of Federal Inland Revenue Service will be advertised for all Nigerians, I don't need to know who will be there and then of course the Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme.
In his remarks, the Minister of Youth Development, Alhaji Bolaji Abdullahi, thanked the president for spearheading the smooth implementation of the You Win Programme.
No fewer than 1,200 participants emerged winners in the first batch of the programme with six of them winning the Presidential award of N500,000 each from a commercial bank. (NAN)
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Daily Trust