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From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The House of Representatives has resolved to set up an Ad-hoc Committee to probe adherence to Federal Character principles in appointments into Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) between 2015 to 2023.
The ad hoc committee is expected to investigate whether the Federal Character Commission had ensured compliance with the federal character principle by MDAs in their appointments between 2015 to date.
The House mandated the panel to demand the Federal Character Commission to forward to it returns on appointments by MDAs within the period under review. The Ad-hoc committee is expected to report back to the House, within four weeks, for further legislative actions.
This followed the adoption of a motion by Professor Paul Nnamchi, member representing Enugu-East/ Isi-Uzo Federal Constituency of Enugu, calling on the parliament to investigate if the Federal Character Commission has discharge its mandate, as enshrined in the Constitution, effectively.
Nnamchi, in his motion, informed the House that the Federal Character Commission was established primarily “to promote, monitor and enforce compliance with the principles of the proportional sharing of all
bureaucratic, economic, media and political posts at all levels of government.”
Nevertheless, the lawmaker lamented that more than 24 years years, after the enactment of the Federal Character Commission Act, the perception is that there is a “brazen domination of the bureaucratic, economic, media and political posts at all levels by
a section of the country at the expense of the others.”
He stated that is regretable that “the Federal Character Commission has virtually abdicated its constitutional and statutory responsibilities and degenerated into personality clash of interest amongst its commissioners as was the case about a year ago.
“The constitutional injunction is that the Federal Republic of Nigeria shall be a state based on the principles of democracy and social justice, which also propagates national integration and abjure discrimination on the grounds of place of origin, sex, religion, status, ethnic or linguistic association or
ties.”
Consequently, Nnamchi implored the House to invoke its powers to compel the Federal Character Commission to discharge its responsibilities as stipulated in the Constitution.
