Tinubu, NASS must appoint qualified technocrats as FCC members — Sokoto commissioner

… We’ll unmask violators of federal character principle — Senate panel

President Bola Tinubu and the National Assembly have been advised to look beyond political considerations in appointing the chairman and members of the Federal Character Commission (FCC) by picking highly-qualified and experienced technocrats as FCC members.

The piece of advice came from the Commissioner representing Sokoto State in the FCC, Abdullahi Aminu Tafida, when he appeared on Wednesday in Abuja before the Senate Committee on Federal Character & Inter-Governmental Affairs.

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The committee, which is chaired by Senator Allwell Onyesoh, is conducting an “Investigative Hearing on the Implementation of the Federal Character Principle in Nigeria’s Public Sector.”

Tafida recommended qualified persons like technocrats as FCC members.

According to him, the quality of members serving on the commission will ultimately determine their ability to discharge the “enormous” responsibility vested in the FCC to oversee compliance to the federal character principle in recruitments and appointments by MDAs.

He said the bulk stopped on the table of the President and the Senate, both which are vested with the power to appoint and approve appointment of technocrats as FCC members from the 36 states.

The commissioner described as unfortunate the state of affairs at the FCC in recent years when it had been unable to properly perform its constitutional duties, owing to internal wranglings and the placement of officers in positions where they rarely understood the functions of the commission.

While commending the Senate for taking the “bold decision” to conduct the investigation and propose to amend the FCC’s Act, Tafida was full of regrets that the anticipated reforms came too late for the current members of the FCC.

He disclosed that the tenure of the current board would expire in about six weeks.

He stated, “You have all the powers. You are to screen the nominees.

“That is a crucial role for you to ensure that only highly-qualified people are confirmed to serve.

“It is an enormous responsibility, and I think that so far, especially in recent times, those in charge don’t seem to realise this.

“You are talking of about 800 government agencies to look into their affairs. It is not the type of work that just anybody can do.”

Tafida recalled that in the early years of the FCC, retired Heads of Service were appointed to chair the board, indicating the seriousness and importance attached to the assignment.

However, the commissioner noted that things started deteriorating at the FCC following the appointment of some ill-equipped persons to sit on the board.

In his opening speech earlier, Onyesoh warned heads of agencies invited to the hearing against making any excuses to prevent them from appearing.

He vowed that the Senate would unmask violators of the federal character principle in Section 14(3) and 14(4) of the 1999 Constitution.

Onyesoh told agency heads to be open and not to hide any documents needed for the investigation .

He said, “”As enshrined in Section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the Federal Character Principle is fundamental to our national cohesion.

“It mandates that governance must reflect the diversity of our federation to prevent domination by any one group or region.

“Sadly, systemic abuse and ineffective enforcement have made this principle more honoured in the breach than in observance.

“Persistent non-compliance by many MDAs in both recruitment and infrastructure allocation has fueled marginalisation and deepened discontent.

“The Federal Character Commission, despite its legal powers, has struggled with enforcement. This reality calls for urgent reforms, possibly including a Federal Character Compliance Tribunal, to ensure that violations are meaningfully addressed.

“This Committee will pursue its mandate through rigorous investigative hearings, interactive sessions, and, where necessary, on-the-spot assessments.

“Our approach is not punitive, but corrective. We aim to foster accountability, reinforce equity, and restore trust in our national institutions.

“We call on all stakeholders, MDAs, civil society, and the public, to support this process. Full cooperation is expected, and the Committee will not hesitate to invoke its constitutional powers under Sections 88 and 89 where necessary.”

The chairman also told the session that President Tinubu backed the investigation “100 per cent”, stating, “those aiming to hide behind or under the presidency, would be disappointed as time to account for their misdeeds has come.”

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