The pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, on Wednesday, faulted the composition of the Federal Character Commission, FCC, saying it is skewed in favour of a particular geo-political zone.
In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, Afenifere said it will not allow President Muhammadu Buhari to get away with yet another infraction at the FCC.
It, however, urged the Senate not to approve the FCC nominee for Chairman, Farida Dankaka.
The statement titled “Federal Character Commission: Shunning the principle of federal character,” Afenifere said: “Though it is now a familiar pattern, Afenifere will not allow President Muhammadu Buhari to get away with it yet another infraction at the Federal Character Commission, FCC.
“The FCC, according to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is meant to be the custodian of the principle of Federal Character and is saddled with the responsibility of ensuring that all federal agencies and parastatals in Nigeria respect and adhere to this Principle.
“Afenifere calls on Senate to reject FCC nominee for chairman, Farida Dankaka.
“The Federal Character Commission by the nomination of the new Chairman would have a Chairman from North (Kwara) and Secretary from the North (Taraba) in violation of Section 4 of the subsidiary legislation.
“The section states that ‘Where the number of positions available cannot go round the states of the federation or the Federal Capital, the distribution shall be on zonal basis. But in the case where two positions are available, the positions shall be shared between the northern and southern zones’.
“This has always been the tradition; that Chairman and Secretary are from the North and South, respectively. For some reason, past governments, including Obasanjo and Jonathan, had appointed northerners as chairmen and southerners as secretaries.
“When Mr. President appointed Mohammed Bello Tukur, the Legal Adviser of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, MACBAN, as the Secretary of the Federal Character Commission, many thought it was to pave way for the first southern chairman of the Commission.
“That was not to be. Instead, in a rather brazen act, the penultimate acting Chairman, Mallam Shettima, rather than handover to a southern commissioner handed over to the Secretary of the Commission.
“It was as if the government does not recognise that appointing a Miyetti Allah official as FCC Secretary was offensive enough.
“This government has consistently violated one of the most ingenious and ambitious affirmative action entrenched in our constitution to promote national unity uniquely named Federal Character.
“This consistent negation of a critical national consensus should be resisted and rejected by all well-meaning Nigerians starting from the Senate. The seed of national discord has been systematically sowed over the past five years and should be halted.
“The Senate should emphasise the supremacy of our constitution and the need to build an inclusive state.
The coronavirus pandemic should be a wakeup call.
“If the President is not prevailed upon to reconstitute the leadership of the FCC to reflect Federal Character, the Senate would be legitimising the wanton impunity of the Buhari government.”
