UPDATED: Tinubu swears in FCC chair, 37 commissioners

The newly appointed Chairman of the Federal Character Commission (FCC), Hulayat Omidiran, and 37 Commissioners of the agency were sworn in on Thursday at the State House by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Omidiran, from Osun state, succeeds the immediate past Chairman of the Commission, Dr Muheeba Dankaka.

An indigene of Ikire, he was a member of the House of Representatives between 2011 and 2019, where he represented Ayedaade/Irewole/Isokan Federal Constituency of Osun State.

Checks revealed that Omidiran’s nomination was confirmed last November by the Senate sequel to security screening and her appearance before the Senate Committee on Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs last October.

Mohammed Musa was also sworn in as Secretary of the Commission.

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Other Commissioners inaugurated include Prince Abass Alesinloye, (Oyo), Peter Eze (Enugu), AbdulWasiu Bawalla (Lagos), Obinna Oriaku (Abia), Lawal Roni (Jigawa), Abubakar Bunu (Kebbi), Eludayo Eluyemi (Osun), Bema Madayi (Adamawa), Dora Ebong (Akwa Ibom), Nnoli Gloria (Anambra), Babangida Gwana (Bauchi), Sir Tonye Okio (Bayelsa), Aligba Tarkende (Benue), Modu Mustapha (Borno), Dr. Stella Ekpo (Cross River), Ederin Idisi (Delta), and Solomon Dagami (FCT), among others.

President Tinubu charged the newly sworn-in Chairman and Commissioners of the Federal Character Commission (FCC) to uphold the peace and stability of the nation by being fair and just in their service.
Tinubu, who described the commission as the nation’s conscience, admonished Omidiran and the Commissioners to seek ways of contributing to the growth and advancement of the country.

The President said the commissioners have a critical role in stabilising the country, given the nation’s complexities.

He said, “What you represent here today is the conscience of our nation. What you have been assigned to do is to promote and stabilise the conscience of this country, to ensure diligent, committed, and patriotic citizenry.”

President Tinubu said the nation has all it takes to be great, prosperous, and productive, considering its human and natural resources, and urged citizens to be committed to national development.

“If I can borrow from the exhortation of President John F. Kennedy of the United States. He asked the Americans, and I am asking you to ask yourselves what you can do for the country. It should not be all the time about what this country can do for you, but about what you can do to make this country great and greater.

“Now that you have been inaugurated to reflect the federal character, the complexity, diversity of this country is all in your hands, and I say God will continue to guide you in this critical assignment,” the President stated.

The Chairman of the FCC thanked President Tinubu for the opportunity to serve and for carefully selecting the commissioners.

Omidiran assured the President that the commission will fulfil its mandate to ensure fairness in representation.

“I want to assure Mr President that under my watch, the commission will pursue its constitutional responsibility diligently in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of this administration.

“On behalf of all of us here, we promise to promote the strength of our diversity and rekindle the hope and aspirations of Nigerians in carrying out our constitutional mandate, under your guidance,” the Chairman said.

In attendance at the brief ceremony were Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake; the Permanent Secretary of the State House, Temitope Fashedemi; and the Permanent Secretary of the Cabinet Affairs Office, Dr John Ezeamama.