SSS Lopsided Recruitment : Where is the Federal Character Commission? By Okoi Obono-obla
https://www.fearlessreports.com/2017/04/sss-lopsided-recruitment-where-is.html
The Federal Character Commission is one of the Federal Executive Bodies established by Section 153 (1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).
However, many Nigerians know or take interest in the functions and responsibilities of the Federal Character Commission.
I am inspired to write this essay because of the scandal that broke out about the alleged lop-sidedness in the recent recruitment that was carried out by the State Security Service.
I believe this lop-sidedness is not peculiar to the SSS but is also applicable to other agencies in the federal bureaucracy.
It means that the Federal Character Commission which is constitutionally mandated to ensure that there is fair representations by all sections of the country in the federal bureaucracy is not working or it is complacent or ambivalent.
Section 7 (1) (c) (1) (a) (b) of Part 1 of the Third Schedule of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (supra) stipulate that the Federal Character Commission shall comprise the following members:
(a) a Chairman; and
(b) one person to represent each of the states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
The Chairman and members of the Federal Character Commission is appointed by the President, subject to confirmation by the Senate.
Section 8 (1) (a) (b) (c) and (d) of Part 1 of the Third Schedule of the Constitution provides that in giving effect to the provisions of section 14(3) and (4) of this Constitution, the Commission shall have the power to:
(a) work out an equitable formula subject to the approval of the National Assembly for the distribution of all cadres of posts in the public service of the Federation and of the States, the armed forces of the Federation, the Nigeria Police Force and other government security agencies, government owned companies and parastatals of the states;
(b) promote, monitor and enforce compliance with the principles of proportional sharing of all bureaucratic, economic, media and political posts at all levels of government;
(c) take such legal measures, including the prosecution of the head or staff of any Ministry or government body or agency which fails to comply with any federal character principle or formula prescribed or adopted by the Commission; and
(d) carry out such other functions as may be conferred upon it by an Act of the National Assembly.
Section 7 (2) (c) (1) (a) (b) of Part 1 of the Third Schedule of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (supra) (2) The posts mentioned in sub-paragraph (1)(a) and (b) of this paragraph shall include those of the Permanent Secretaries, Directors-General in Extra-Ministerial Departments and parastatals, Directors in Ministries and Extra-Ministerial Departments, senior military officers, senior diplomatic posts and managerial cadres in the Federal and State parastatals, bodies, agencies and institutions.
(3) Notwithstanding any provision in any other law or enactment, the Commission shall ensure that every public company or corporation reflects the federal character in the appointments of its directors and senior management staff.
9. It shall be the duty of the Board of Directors of every state-owned enterprise to recognise and promote the principle of federal character in the ownership and management structure of the company.
The pertinent question is: why the Federal Character Commission is not alive to its responsibilities as spelt out by the Constitution?
Do we now put the blame the President Muhammadu Buhari when an agency of the Federal Government (that every State in the country is equally represented) fails to carry out its functions and responsibilities?
The elites scramble for appointments into jobs they do not have passion,capacity , training and enthusiasm.
Where is the conscience of the elite? We are profess religion but do we execute our official functions in accordance with the teachings of the religion we profess?
What was the role of the Federal Character Commission and its commissioners in all this?
Chief Obla, I greet you.
ReplyDeleteSometime last year, NPA recruited staff. This very same thing happened. Just a few persons from the South were recruited. Yet all the NPA facilities are in the South. In Bayelsa, only one person was selected because her surname is ABOKI.
It is true that the northern part of the country wants to under develop the south using all government aparatus.
It is also crystal clear the appointment of PMB did not reflect the Federal Character, why then do you expect in Federal MDAs?
UNICAL is the only place that Federal Character is practiced. In UNICAL we have staff from all over the country. It is not so in UNIYO, UNILAG, UNIPORT, etc.
You guys have a lot of work to do in order to reposition the south.
Thanks!