The Federal Character Commission,
a parastatal of the Presidency, on Tuesday advised that the Federal Government
and the National Assembly should abide by its principle in the sharing of
positions and political appointments.
The organisation also said that
henceforth, no funds shall be allocated for capital projects to any Ministry,
Department and Agency of government that fails to sit with its appropriate
committee and obtain a “certificate of no objection.”
The Chairman of FCC, Alhaji
Muhammed Bello Alkali, and Secretary, Mr. Jude Rex-Ogbuku, stated these while
responding to questions from journalists on the political logjam in the
National Assembly over the sharing of positions and perceived lopsided
appointments by the Presidency during a press briefing in Abuja.
The commission said that although
the federal appointments and sharing of positions in the National Assembly were
contentious issues, the FCC in its Act anticipated appointive and not elective
offices.
Rex-Ogbuku said, “The National
Assembly, as you know, is elective and as the chairman has said, it is an
institution and we just hope that they would pay a little attention to the
federal character principles. But to say we cover them, no. We do not think that
we have control over the elective positions, as it is only in the areas of
appointive position that the FCC seems to be respected.
“If it is election, as it is in
National Assembly, they are actually at liberty but we will enjoin them
ordinarily to do the right thing by following the federal character principles.
“I think the same question was
asked on the appointments by the Presidency. Yes, of course, it is a
constitutional provision and ordinarily and naturally, we are also to be
adviser to the Presidency on the appointment of officers.
“Mind you, the Presidency is
actually at liberty but it is enjoined by the Constitution to follow the
federal character principles. We expect that in the appointments, the
Presidency must ensure that no part of the country feels alienated. Therefore,
in the distribution, it is expected to take into cognisance all the
geo-political zones in the country, the states, and where necessary, the ethnic
affiliations such that no part of the country feels that it has been alienated
in the appointments.”
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