Yenagoa- Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, has called on the Federal Character Commission (FCC) to correct the under-representation of the state in terms of federal recruitments and placements.

He made the call when he hosted Executive Chairman of the FCC, Mrs Muheeba Dankaka and her entourage at the Government House, Yenagoa, on Tuesday.

Diri said while he was member of the House of Representatives, he was in the Federal Character Commission Committee where he noticed the imbalances in federal placements.

A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Daniel Alabrah, quoted him as calling on the FCC to correct the existing imbalance and ensure that Bayelsa gets its due.

Diri decried the situation whereby available vacancies at the federal level were not to the knowledge of the government and people of the state and urged the commission to inform the government about openings to enable the people take advantage of such opportunities.

He noted that if the inequalities affecting Bayelsa and a few other states were addressed, the agitations in some states would reduce significantly.

Diri described the commission as crucial to the unity and stability of Nigeria, given the numerous enthnic groups clamouring for justice.

The governor said, “The Federal Character Commission is inevitable in a heterogeneous society like ours. The commission can sort out a lot of the inequality and challenges we face because of our heterogeneous nature.

“It is a very good weapon in solving the issues of ethnicity and mutual suspicion among ethnic nationalities that make up Nigeria.

“I like to place on record that Bayelsa state is under-represented. Bayelsa is one of the states that has been cheated over the years and the inequality in relation to other states is so high that we request that your commission addresses this imbalance.”

He expressed the willingness of the state government to work with the commission to achieve set goals and urged the members to shun partisanship in performance of their duties.

The FCC Executive Chairman, Mrs Muheeba Dankaka, had earlier stated that the commission was established to promote national unity and foster a sense of belonging among all Nigerians.

She assured Governor Diri that Bayelsa would get its fair share of federal jobs and amenities, noting that the commission was also consulting widely to ensure that the federal character principle was also practiced at state level