NAN-H-68
Principle
Abuja, March 1, 2017 (NAN) Nigerians say the introduction of the federal character principle in the constitution has helped in dousing the fear of domination in the country by competing ethnic groups while promoting national integration.
They, however, cautioned against sacrificing merit in its application.
In a national survey conducted by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the application of the principle, many respondents said its inclusion in the constitution had helped douse tension in the distribution of key appointments, social amenities and enlistment in the armed forces.
Some also suggested the establishment of Local and State Government Character Commission to ensure equity at state and local government levels.
Alhaji Musa Kaibo, the Head of Service in Adamawa, described the federal character principle as a “stabilising block for sustaining the unity of Nigeria as one nation.’’
Kaibo said the Federal Character Commission had been working to bring the diverse people of Nigeria together.
“I believe the commission has served its purpose in bringing Nigerians together.
“Also, the commission has helped in reducing the fear and threat of domination by a particular section or group, ‘’ Kaibo said.
He called for support of the commission in the areas of finance and manpower to enable it continue its good work.
Mr Ibrahim Sa’ad, a legal practitioner in Yola also expressed the belief that the commission had achieved a lot and had justified its existence.
He, however, cautioned against sacrificing merit on the altar of federal character principle.
“The principle has its advantages and disadvantages, but on the whole, the advantages are more than the disadvantages.
“ At least, it provided the opportunity for some disadvantaged Nigerians to contribute their quota at the centre,” he said.
Mr Nasir Babale, the Chairman of Adamawa branch of Trade Union Congress (TUC), said the federal character principle and the commission had helped in the process of national integration.
But Malam Atiku Ibrahim, a member of a civil society organisation in Yola, observed that corruption was hindering the implementation of the principle.
He said more should be done to check the problem of favouritism and other sentiments in the recruitment process.
Dr Mahmoud Umar, the Head of the Department of Public Administration, Gombe State University (GSU), stressed the need for government to evolve an institutional framework for effective implementation of the federal character principle.
He said that effective implementation of the principle would help each part of the country to have sense of belonging.
Mr TItus Abana, the Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Borno, said some states ought to be given special consideration in the area of distribution of resources in view of their peculiar challenges.
A resident of Maiduguri, Mr Friday Okwonkwo, called for a review of the 1999 constitution to reflect true federalism to ensure equal opportunity and independent development of various regions in the country.
Okwonkwo said that lack of true federalism was the reason why the country had not progressed much since independence.
“We are where we are today because the power shuttle has been directed to one side for a very long time; concentration of government presence has always been one sided too.
“There is a general belief in Nigeria that jobs are always meant for the rich, and this is what is happening.
“If equal opportunities are promoted across the country while jobs, wealth and resources are distributed equally, Nigeria would be a better place,” he said.
Mr Tunji Adedeji, an activist in Maiduguri, said Nigeria would be a better place if Nigerians endeavour to promote policies that would foster national integration such as the federal character principle.
“We struggled to gain independence only to make a colossal mess of our country because of our love for materialism and partial affections.
“We allowed our private prejudice to interfere with our service to our father land,” he said..
Malam Hashimu Gital, the Chairman of NLC in Bauchi State, said the principle of federal character should also be implemented at the local and state and levels.
He said politicians and other public office holders in Bauchi State were observing the principle through checks and balances on each other to ensure adequate representation.
“As far as I am concerned, it is being implemented in the state because the politicians check themselves ensure implementation.
“We are in a democratic set-up and it is all about representation,” Gital said.
The labour leader stated that effective implementation of the principle could translate into employment opportunities as well as equitable distribution of amenities.
Also contributing, Alhaji Usman Ya’u, the Chairman of Jigawa chapter of NLC, said that the principle of federal character had fostered national integration .
According to him, the Federal Character Commission was doing well in ensuring that all states were filling their quota in all public institutions.
“If not for the presence of the commission, some states would have been marginalised in terms of distribution of social amenities and appointments.
“I am, therefore, suggesting that similar commission be established at state and local government levels,” he said.
Dr John Fir, a Jos-based public affairs analyst, who noted the efficacy of the Federal Character Commission in fostering equitable representation of states, commended the military regime of General Sani Abacha over the initiative.
“Sometimes, leaders stray away from this principle, but because we all know it is there, we can always use its presence to challenge those in authority to do the right thing,” he said.
Mr Luka Panpe, a lecturer in Public Administration at the Plateau State Polytechnic, agreed with Fir on the efficacy of the principle in ensuring fair representation.
“The commission was established to ensure even redistribution of resources in the country.
“ There is a difference between equitable and equity; a state may be given three slots, but in a state like Plateau with 54 ethnic groups, selecting these persons may become an issue.
“In some cases, such three slots had come from one language that may be the majority tribe or have someone to influence that,” he said.
The academic, who called for equity to ensure the fair sharing of limited resources, said: “The quota system may not sound palatable, but it is ideal in our country.”
He, however, said that the Federal Character Commission had failed to discharge its duties not because of its inefficiency, but the complexity of multi ethnic groupings.
Miss Alice Sani, a member of the NYSC, also said the provision of social amenities as well as recruitment into public institutions had never reflected the federal character principle.
“ In most cases, you only have to know a politician or have a god-father somewhere before you are employed,’’ she said.
Another respondent and trader, Mrs Alisabatu Aliyu, said that the commission “ had done more good than harm to Nigerians.’’
“I know some people that were the brightest in the class and were also nominated to benefit from their state’s quota.
“ Without quota system, many brilliant people will be left out, ” she said.
Mr. Julius Kaigama, the Federal Commissioner in the Federal Character Commission in Jalingo, on his part, expressed concern over the poor representation of some states in the federal civil service.
“Such poor representation is in violation of the cct that established the commission,” he said.
According to him, the act mandates all establishments to have equitable representation in their appointments.
He regretted that some states meet less than 30 percent of their quota at the federal level, hinging this anomaly partly on lack of awareness on available vacancies in Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
“Many graduates, especially those living in rural areas, may not be aware of these opportunities for reasons that could be geographical and financial.
“That is the reason why I am now liaising with the state government to devise several means of informing qualified candidates about vacancies available for them to apply.
“Already, I have met with youth leaders to help in disseminating this information; sometimes, we even sponsor announcements on the state radio and television to that effect.
“Unfortunately, some people fail to understand that the commission does not give jobs but regulates employment process to ensure equitable representation of states,” the commissioner said.
Kaigama, who represents Taraba at the commission, alleged that some non indigenes had previously benefited from the state’s employment slots.
“ In previous employments by the Transmission Company of Nigeria, there was a case in which four people from Borno got four out of the seven slots allocated to Taraba.
“ When we discovered it, they had already started working. So in subsequent recruitment processes, Borno had to forfeit four of its slots to Taraba,” he said.
On alleged secret employments by the Federal Government, he said that for any employment exercise to be legitimate, it must follow due process.
“Every recruitment exercise is supposed to be advertised in two national dailies; one from a southern paper and another from a northern paper. Such adverts shall be carried for six months.
“The alleged secret employment at Federal Inland Revenue Service in 2016 was a hoax because our investigations revealed that someone just created names on the internet just to discredit
the organisation.
“But in the case of CBN in the same year, the bank had earlier applied for a waiver from advertisement. This is allowed, but for a particular employment exercise.
“When organisations have limited vacancies, they can do that to avoid a situation where millions will be competing for few jobs,” he said.
Alhaji Muktar Wakeel, a lecturer at Nasarawa State Polytechnic, Lafia, said that although the principle was anchored on the need for equal representation, it had encouraged ‘opportunism’ and incompetence over merit.
Wakeel maintained that the federal character principle had promoted sentiments rather than capacity building in the handling of critical national assignments.
“Although it is important for equal representation, merit and expertise rather than sentiment, should be the focus in order to achieve results in the interest of the nation,” he said.
He explained that the composition of the National Assembly had taken care of the issue of federal character, adding that it was left for the legislators to represent the people adequately and attract all the amenities.
Mr Bulus Dabit, Director, National Orientation Agency in Plateau, stressed that state governments must domesticate the character commission to ensure social justice and equity in the distribution of political appointments among diverse communities at state level.
“The principle is already working at the federal level; we should domesticate it,” he said.
In Ibadan, a human right activist, Mr Femi Aborisade, said that the application of the principle has its advantages and disadvantages.
Aborisade said that the application of the principle had ensured that every region, state and ethnic group was being carried along in the “ sharing’’ of public office.
He, however, stated that the application had suffered setbacks because it had downplayed merit.
Aborisade, who maintained that merit should be given priority in the application of the federal character principle, said “I believe every region, state and ethnic group has worthy and credible people as well as people of integrity.’’
But Mr Rotimi Agboluaje, a public policy analyst, posited that the principle of federal character should be out rightly expunged, arguing that it has hindered national development.
Agboluaje said that the application of the principle had not promoted national unity but mediocrity.
“This application of the principle has made the Federal Government to sacrifice merit for mediocrity. The best hands are not placed where they could function effectively because of the principle, “he said.
The Ogun Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Akeem Ambali, however, called for a review of the principle of federal character.
He noted that while the principle is good, its implementation has been largely characterised by political sentiments.
“The federal character principle was meant to ensure that public service appointments reflect the country’s diversity in terms of religion, ethnic background as well as geographical and linguistic diversities, ” he said.
He, however, expressed concern that the application of the principle had eroded merit and resulted in inefficiency in many federal institutions,
A university lecturer, Dr Tolani Hassan, also called for its review, saying that “it promoted mediocrity over merit.”
Hassan, an Economics teacher at Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED), Ijebu-Ode, called for ways to make the application of the federal character principle less cumbersome.
“The principle of merit should not be squandered completely to accommodate federal character even when it is not logical.
“The present system does not encourage healthy competition required for national development based on the unjustified equality framework established in the federal character policy.
“Appointments and admissions of persons to various positions in our administrative, political and educational institutions should be made from the best available hands irrespective of backgrounds.
“In the much debated unity schools admission process, equal opportunities based on merit should be considered to bridge the educational divide and promote development,” Hassan said.
Hassan further argued that though the federal character policy was conceived to promote equity, it remained favourably disposed toward the public sector as against its private counterpart.
Yinka Folarin, the Ogun Chairman of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, described the policy as ” an ethnic balancing tool,’’ and ignoring the principle of best practices.
“Where the problem lies is when people hide under the federal character principle to lower standards so that their kinsmen can have opportunities and thereby create room for incompetence,” he said.
He emphasised the need for attitudinal change that creates a sense of patriotism in the citizenry.
In Osun, Mr Adesina Kelani, the Permanent Secretary in the Osun Civil Service Commission, said the principle had not been able to address the issue of national development due to its lopsidedness.
Kelani said the distribution of appointments in the civil service had become a party affair without truly reflecting the principle.
He called for review of the principle in order to enhance national development and integration.
The permanent secretary also called for geographical spread to help address the imbalance in the zoning system, which he said, would integrate the country.
The Chairman of Osun Trade Union Congress(TUC) , Mr Akinyemi Olatunji, said favouritism, nepotism and tribalism were some of the challenges facing the principle.
“People in authority can easily use their posts and positions to sway recruitment in favour of their kinsmen, tribe or religion without necessarily considering federal character.
“That explains why some regions in the country have the presence of developmental projects more than others in the country,’’ he said.
Olatunji said there was urgent need for the review of the principle so that its objective of providing equal opportunities for all the geopolitical zones could be achieved.
Dr Ike Fayomi-Awodele, the Acting Head of the Department of Public Administration, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, called for equal distribution of appointments and social amenities.
Fayomi-Awodele appealed to the government to always implement the principle so as to ensure fairness, equity and justice in all ramifications.
“The Federal Government should put all the six geo-political zones into consideration in terms of appointment so as to avoid segregation or disparity among the different tribes in the country,’’ he said.
A member of the Osun House of Assembly, Mr Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, said one of the challenges inherent in the federal character principle was the lopsidedness in employment and appointments.
Oyintiloye, however , said the principle of federal character had to some extent reasonably addressed the imbalance in the system
In Ilorin, a lawyer, Mr Farouk Ahmed, expressed the belief that the federal character principle had been an instrument of national disintegration rather than a unifying tool.
He said the inappropriate application of the principle had created mediocrity, inequality, corruption, lack of transparency and domination by the major ethnic groups.
“When one ethnic group feels insecure, disintegration may set in and that is what Nigeria is experiencing at the moment,” he added.
Mr Yekeen Agunbiade, the Chairman of NLC in Kwara , explained that the equity promoted by the principle of federal character supersedes whatever that could be observed as its shortcomings.
“In spite of this principle, some ethnic groups in Nigeria still believe they are marginalised, you can then imagine if the principle is not enshrined in the constitution,’’ he said.
He, however, identified nepotism and favouritism as factors inhibiting the principle in the country.
The Interim Chairman for Ilorin West Local Government Council, Alhaji Abdulhameed Alli, expressed support for the principle, saying it was working for the country.
He urged the Federal Character Commission to always ensure compliance with the principle in federal establishments to check marginalisation.
In Akure, a social commentator, Mr Oluwole Babalola, said transparency in the application of the federal character principle would prevent people from taking unfair advantage of it.
“Until we run a clean federal structure where a percentage is contributed by everyone equally, then we will not be making much progress,” he said.
The Head of Service in Ekiti, Dr Gbenga Faseluka, noted that the Federal Character Commission had made appreciable impact, saying that this must be improved on.
He urged the commission to live above board as a neutral agency of government so as to continue to enjoy the confidence of all Nigerians.
The Chairman, Ekiti State Civil Service Commission, Mr Akomolafe Kayode, also said the commission must be alive to its duties by ensuring that enough publicity was accorded every recruitment exercise carried out by all federal establishments.
The Chairman of the NLC in the state, Mr Raymond Adeyemi, called for the strengthening of the commission in terms of appointments, saying emphasis should be on recruitment of bureaucrats rather than politicians.
The Federal Commissioner representing Ekiti in the commission, Mr Bunmi Ojo, declared that the commission was committed to equity in sharing of public positions without fear or favour.
According to him, the commission is also committed to promoting equitable distribution of Nigeria’s resources irrespective of ethnicity or religious background.
He told NAN that national integration and socio -economic development of every part of the country remained top priorities of the commission.
The federal commissioner said the commission places high premium on quota system through equitable sharing of public positions.
Ojo also disclosed that one of the priorities of the commission was to ensure that every state in the country had minimum of 2.5 percent and maximum of 3 percent in manpower distribution.
Mr Taiwo Bamigbade, the Senate President of the National Association of Nigerian Students ( NANS), said that the federal character principle had robbed the country of merit ,with mediocrity holding sway.
He, however, noted that the principle would ensure fair distribution of public positions if properly handled. (NAN)
REPORTERS/OSA/OJO
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(Edited by Shittu Obassa/Mufutau Ojo)