Federal Character a Necessary Evil

By Aliyu Amani

The federal character prin­ciple is arguably one of the most controversial provi­sions of our Constitution.


The Radio Nigeria phone-in programme, Radio-Link, of Satur­day April 25, brought this issue, once again, to the front burner. Conscious of the fact that mass enlightenment is an inevitable weapon for the destruction of old and new myth, I herewith make my own submission to this worthwhile debate.
The phrase 'Federal Character' was first used by the late General Murtala Ramat Muhammed in his address to the opening session of the Constitu­tion Drafting Committee on Saturday, October 18, 1975. "Federal character of Nigeria," according to the CDC's report of 1977, "refers to the distinctive desire of the peoples of Nigeria to promote national unity, foster national loyally and give every citizen of Nigeria a sense of belonging to the nation notwith­standing the diversities of ethnic ori­gin, culture, language or religion which may exist and which it is their desire to nourish, harness to the enrichment of the Federal Republic of Nigeria."
Those who drafted the 1979 Con­stitution justified the entrenchment of the federal character principle in our constitution thus: "There had in the past been inter-ethnic rivalry to secure the domination of government by one ethnic group or combination of ethnic groups to the exclusion of others. It is therefore essential to have some provi­sion to ensure that the predominance of persons from a few states or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups is avoided in the composition of government, in the appointment or election of persons to high offices in the state”
People who feel threatened by the federal character principle say it undermines merit. But I cannot see how merit could be completely sac­rificed at the altar of federal character. For one, there is always a minimum requirement for appointment into any post within the federal civil serv­ice, Armed Forces, the Police and any other agency of government. I never heard of any situation like say. candi­dates for post A from States B, C, and D must have a minimum of University degree with 3 years post qualification cognate experience while candidates for the same post A from States X, Y, and Z must possess a minimum of an Ordinary National Diploma with any number of years of experience. I stand to be corrected.
Secondly, merit is not a closed shop. -It is not the exclusive preserve of any particular section, geopolitical zone, state, or ethnic nationality. Again, I stand to be corrected. Thirdly, who says university graduates with better grades make better employees than those with lower grades? Or, paraphrasing A. M. Mainasara, who says that the ability to fire a rifle is synonymous with handling a pen or writing a good essay?
Opponents of the federal charac­ter principle also argue that it has been used to accelerate the promotion of mediocre and incompetent civil servants, military and paramilitary officers into top positions, because advanc­ing in the service is based on criteria derived from the federal character rep­resentation. In today's Nigeria, there is nowhere promotions are automatic and not based on the attainment of any further requirement. Again, I stand to be corrected.
I first came into contact with a dis­torted perception of the federal character principle years ago while serving under the National Youth Serv­ice Corps (NYSC) scheme. A fellow corps member from the East and gradu­ate of the University of Nigeria Nsuka, said they were told by their lecturers that federal character is employed even in the grading process of WAEC exami­nations to the effect that a distinction pass in the North was equivalent to a credit pass in the south; a credit pass in the North is equivalent to an ordi­nary pass in the South; while an ordi­nary pass in the North is equal to an F9 in the South. When I posed to her the question: What then is the equivalent of a northern F9 in the south, she was lost for words.
Again, some years ago when the former Inspector General of Police, Tafa Balogun effected the mass promotion of officers and men of the Nigeria Police, whose promotions were long overdue, I had an encounter with a newly pro­moted corporal who then resides in my neighborhood. I congratulated him on his belated promotion and he answered "thank you, but if I have been a 'notana’ I would have been an Inspector by now or even an ASP, you know promotions are faster and smoother for 'notanas' because of federal character".
I can go on and on telling stories of how the high achievements of many a northerner, accomplished through hard work and perseverance, on the basis of merit, are devalued at the cur­rency of federal character. This is the price that northerners have to pay, though we are not the sole beneficiaries of the federal character principle in the country. Apart from the disadvantaged southern minorities, many southerners pose as disadvantaged northerners to gain admission or secure employment.
The federal character principle is a necessary evil that we, Nigerians, have to endure for now; it's a sacrifice we all have to make for the emergence of the just and egalitarian society we all aspire to have. Hopefully, decades from now when our body politic had developed sufficient immunity to the virus of prejudice and discrimination, the fed­eral character principle will go the way of the dinosaur.

Nassarawa Organs of Government Are More Than Cordial

A delegation from Nassarawa State recently attended a cultural festival at Kwall in Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State. Among the delegation was a member of the state’s House of Assembly, Honorable Yakubu A Faransa, who represents Awe North Constituency. The News Tower took advantage of the opportunity to discuss with the legislator.

Faransa said the relationship between the Executive and the Legislative arms of government is more than friendly. It is more of a family kind of relationship. The healthy relationship is the reason why the government of Aliyu Akwe Doma has been able to create an impression in the areas of road construction and reforms in the health portfolio.

The pages of Nigerian newspapers have recently been dominated by stories of political defection from other parties to the PDP. Faransa said it calls for concern as the development spells doom for Nigerian democracy that is now headed towards a one-party democrac if nothing is done about it. He agrees that it is indeed true that there have been decamping particularly from the ANPP and referred to the case of the governors of Zamfara and Bauchi states as examples. They were all members of the ANPP and in view of the fact that the ANPP had been the major opposition; there is indeed cause for concern. The problem according to him is the fact that Nigerians politicians see politics as a means of livelihood rather than an opportunity to work for the progress of the nation.

The legislator also answered questions regarding the two year tenure of local administration in his state. He is of the opinion that a politician, who sincerely wants to work, can achieve a lot in just one year and people should not cite two years as been two short a duration for any administrator to make an impression. He however concluded that three years would have been most appropriate.

NEPA booed on Workers Day in Jos

The Worker’s Day celebration was held in Plateau State Nigeria, as it was in the remaining 35 states of the federation and around the world.

Usually the event is marked by a march-pass by different trade unions. The electric power authority, Power Holdings of Nigeria popularly known as NEPA, their old name, was booed by the crowd to show lack of approval for their poor services which has complicated the Nigerian economic problems. The NEPA delegation compounded their situation when they sang one song that is popularly with football fans, ‘ole ole ole ole…… ole…. Ole…….’

Pensioners matched normally and later gave a speech in which they expressed their appreciation to the administration of the state for ending their woes of a very long time.
Teachers marched but refused to sing any song. It was protest to the neglect of their profession by successive administration.

Governor Jang Cuts Curfew Hours

Governor Jonah David Jang of Plateau State has further cut down the curfew hours by two. The announcement monitored on local radio says that the nine-hour curfew from 9 PM to 6 AM has now been reduced to seven hours starting from 11 PM to 6 AM.

Jang imposed a curfew in November last year when fighting broke out in parts of Jos-North following grassroots election. Jang had last year joked that he has realized that the curfew has strengthen families as fathers now go home early and as such he will not lift the restriction. Though the announcement was said jokingly the Governor appeared to have lived up to the statement. With the latest announcement, well meaning persons now feel that the curfew can as well last forever as no responsible persons will stay out beyond 11 PM except on essential duty.

Plateau State Executive Council Now Has Three New Members

The Plateau State Executive Council now has three new Commissioners. These are Professor Barnabas Mandong, Gregory Nyelong and Gayus Chidawa. This is an outcome of a moderate restructuring of the cabinet undertaken by the Governor and father of the state, Retired Air Commodore Jonah David Jang.

In the reorganization, the environment portfolio of the Ministry of Housing and Environment has been matched with the Ministry of Tourism and Culture. The Deputy Governor, Madam Pauline Tallen, ceded her additional responsibility as the Commissioner of Education. The Commissioner of Housing and Environment, Barrister Nankim Bagudu moves to Commerce and Industry while Na’Allah Mudbam of Commerce and Industry moves to Agriculture and Natural Resources. Nuhu Gagara of Information moves to Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters made vacant when Governor Jang fired the Commissioner, Benahel Andong late last year. Angela Miri, formerly of Health, moves to the Ministry of Education. Three voids were thus created in Information and Communication, Health and Housing and have been subsequently occupied by Nyelong, Mandong and Chidawa respectively.

ECWA National Women Conference Ends

The Plateau District Church Council (DCC) has successfully hosted the ninth edition of the tri-annual ECWA National Women’s Fellowship Conference. The conference with the theme “Vessels of Honor” taken from II Timothy 2: 20-21 was held at Kerker in Jos East Local Government Area of Plateau State. Between the 9th and the 12th of April 19, 2009 Kerker was totally painted in the camouflage colors of the traditional ECWA women uniform transforming the venue to a place of not just spiritual enrichment but economic as well as it became a beehive of businesses providing support services like the sales of foods and drinks, gospel related books, tapes and souvenirs. Commercial vehicle operators were also busy carrying people to and from the city of Jos throughout the four days of the event.

The conference could be said to be one of the biggest crowd puller of all ECWA events in view of the fact that the strength of most churches, by-and-large, are the women. The extensive geographical spread of the participants underscores the extent to which the church has grown since it was founded by the Sudan Interior Mission in 1903. The participants came from 73 DCCs with the exception of the fourth located in Washington DC United States of America. To paint a graphic picture, a DCC is made up of Local Church Councils (LCC) which in turn are made up of Local Church Branches (LCBs). In all about 15, 000 individual participants attended the convention.

The need to host an enormous conference such as this still revolves around the primary aim of the church, evangelism with the ultimate goal of winning souls that have not known Christ. Hence the foremost activities at the conference involved rendition of praise songs on to the Lord, sermons, and donations for the sake of the continued financing of future evangelism. According to the duo of Mama Elizabeth Dalhatu Abdu and Hannatu Audu, National Leader and Secretary respectively, the events were recorded in audio and video storage devices. These will be distributed so that the word will travel beyond the perimeters of the conference venue to possibly all parts of the world were it is expected that more souls would be won through playing them. She also is of the deep conviction that peace as enjoyed within family circles today, is a direct consequence of the teachings of evangelism that has encourage mutual respect between husbands and their spouses.

The women leaders are full of thanks and praises to the Lord to whom they give the glory for the success of the conference. With His support, the DCC successfully bought the conference venue, a large expanse of land running to about 500, 000 m2 at Kerker in Jos East. It also had to drill three motorized boreholes in addition to buying canopies and chairs to shelter the multitude of participants.

According to Mrs. Abdu, whatever is acquired by the church today is an investment to enhance evangelism tomorrow and demonstrate love to those in need. It is the reason why the large expanse of land will be used to host subsequent conferences and serve as future gospel crusades venues. In line with the biblical teachings of loving your neighbor, the boreholes will be dedicated to serving the water needs of the surrounding rural community of Kerker village. Everything is about love and salvation.

Attempted Assassins of Abraham Adesanya Sentenced

Two men Aminu Mohammed and Lateef Sonfolahon who attempted the assassination of the leader of Afenifere, Abraham Adesanya in 1997 have been jailed for 28 and 31 years respectively. The two men who have been standing trial for past ten years were sentenced by Justice Olusola Williams yesterday March 8, 2007. Aminu Mohammed was a member of the late Military Dictator General Sani Abacha’s dead squad. The court based its judgment on confessions of Aminu Mohammed and testimonies of star witness, Barnabas Mshelia a.k.a Sergeant Rogers who himself is notorious for been the trigger man of the Abacha killer squad of the 90s. Lateef sofolahon was a Personal Assistant to late Kudirat Abiola, allegedly assassinated by the Abacha dead squad with Sergeant Rogers as the trigger man and was an accomplice by virtue of being an informant