The National Civil Society Council of Nigeria (NCSCN) has called on President Bola Tinubu to appoint qualified officials from the southeast to head the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).
Dr Raymond Edoh, the Council’s Executive Director, said this on Wednesday in Abuja, at a news conference on the state of the nation and the federal character principle.
According to him, appointing an official from the southeast to head FRSC will comply with the Federal Character principle.
“Recall that the Federal Character Principle in Nigeria was borne out of the need to ensure evenness in spreading government appointments to promote inclusion, representation, a sense of belonging and balance in the polity.
“The underlying philosophy is providing equality of access in public service representation to curb dominance by one or a few sections.
“The Principle was first introduced into the Constitution in 1979 for public offices and federal institutions to reflect Nigeria’s diversities.
“The Federal Character Commission (FCC) was subsequently established by Act No 34 of 1996 as a Federal Executive body to implement and enforce the Federal Character Principle of fairness and equity,’’ he said.
He said the Commission had achieved remarkable feats in the nation’s civil service in terms of employment.
However, he said, the same could not be said of appointments of heads of security agencies and para-military establishments over the decades,’’ Edoh said.
According to him, verifiable records show that the configuration of the nation’s security and para-military architectures do not properly reflect and represent the Federal Character Principle.
He listed the heads of paramilitary agencies; Nigerian Police Force – IGP Kayode Egbetokun, Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps – Dr Ahmed Audi, Department of State Service –Yusuf Magaji Bichi.
Others are Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, Nigeria Immigration Service, Kemi Nandap, Nigeria Correctional Service, Haliru Nababa and Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Mohammed Buba Marwa.
Also, Economic & Financial Crime Commission, Ola Olukayode, Independent & Corrupt Practices Commission, Dr Musa Adamu Aliyu and National Food & Drugs Administration & Control, Prof Moji Adeyeye.
He said the list showed that no personnel or official from the southeast was heading any of the agencies listed.
“With the retirement of the Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps last week, general expectations and healthy assumptions were that the next Corps Marshal FRSC would be considered from the Southeast Zone.
“Furthermore, our diligent findings show that within the nine dispensation and 36 years of the enactment into law and formal appointments of the successive Corp Marshals, below are the official records;
“Dr Olu Agunloye. 1988 -1994. Maj. Gen Haldu Anthony Hananiya (rtd) 1994 – 1999, Danyaro Ali Yakasai. 1999 – 2000, Mr Abba Wakilbe, 2000 – 2003, Maj. Gen Haldu Anthony Hananiya (rtd) 2003 – 2007.
“Others include Osita Chidoka, 2007 – 2014, Mr Boboye Oyeyemi 2014 – 2022, Ali Biu 2022 – 2024, and Mr Shehu Mohammed (now reported to be confirmed and decorated),’’ the executive director said.
Edoh therefore appealed to President Tinubu to encourage national unity and integration by taking advantage of the retirement of Mr Dauda Biu as Corps Marshal of the FRSC to remedy the situation.
Earlier, the Director, South West, NCSCN, Yemi Success, said every zone was equal in the country.
“Facts speak for themselves, but there is a possibility that the leadership has not taken cognisance of the details and as the watchdog of society we have placed it before them.
“We will follow it up with advocacy; we note that President Tinubu has been one of the advocates of good governance and equitable distribution of power in Nigeria before his ascension to power.
“We believe this may be an oversight that might happen as a mistake, now that we have placed the facts and figures before him we are sure that he will do the needful,’’ Success said.
Similarly, Haruna Gambo, the Director of Media, at NCSCN, said the only way the country could promote unity was by being just in the distribution of federal appointments and political offices.
Gambo therefore, called on the government to unite the country by making sure that any region in Nigeria that was deprived of appointments was compensated.
