The nomination of Dr. Muheeba Dankaka as chairman of the Federal
Character Commission (FCC) by President Muhammadu Buhari has
refreshed the controversy over the president’s perceived
non-application of the principle of federal character in his key
appointments, ThhisDay reports.
The President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, had on Tuesday
read the president’s letter seeking Senate approval for the
nomination of Dankaka and 37 others as chairman and members of the
commission, instituted by Section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution as
amended, to ensure that no section of the country dominates
appointments to the federal government and its agencies.
Specifically, the section specifies: “The composition of the
Government of the Federation or any of its agencies and the conduct
of its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect
the federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote national
unity, and also to command national loyalty, thereby ensuring that
there shall be no predominance of persons from a few states or from
a few ethnic or other sectional groups in that government or in any
of its agencies.”
FCC is saddled with the responsibility of enforcing this
constitutional provision.
Dankaka’s nomination is said to be in conflict with this
provision of the constitution on the ground that she is from Kwara
State, Northern Nigeria, she ought not to have been so nominated
because the secretary of the commission, Mr. Muhammad Tukur, is
from Taraba State also from the North.
The critics’ argument is that this pattern of appointment
negates the constitution, the enabling law and convention.
They refer to Section 4 of the enabling law, Federal Character
Commission Act No 34 of 1996, to buttress their argument. It
states: “Where the number of positions available cannot go round,
the states of the federation or the Federal Capital, the
distribution shall be on a zonal basis. But in the case where two
positions are available, the positions shall be shared between the
northern and southern zones.”
For them, the two principal positions are the chairman and
secretary of the commission and by the spirit and letters of the
law, they ought to be distributed between the North and the
South.
They also summon convention as their witness, saying past
administrations have maintained a balance in appointments between
the two principal geo-political zones.
According to them, a brief history of the leadership of the
commission shows that from 1996 till date, there have been lopsided
appointments of the executive chairmen of the commission.
For instance, Alhaji Adamu Fika from Yobe in North-east; Alhaji
Bello Kofabai from Katsina in the North-west and Professor Shuaibu
Oba Abdul Raheem from Kwara in the North-central, have held the
position since 1996.
In acting capacity, the chairmanship of the commission has been
held by Alhaji Muhammadu Ari-Gwaska from North-central; Alhaji
Ibrahim Funtua, from Katsina in the North-west; Alhaji Muhammad
Alkali from Kebbi in North-west; Dr. Shettima Bukar Abba from Borno
in the North-east; Mr. Abayomi Sheba from Ondo in the South-west,
and Ambassador Shinkafi from Zamfara State, the current acting
chairman whose tenure ended on April 20, 2020, after two terms in
office is from the North-west.
THISDAY gathered that during the period under review, the
position of the substantive secretary was held by southerners,
including Mr. A. O. Effenga from South-south; Mr. O. P Emerhan from
South-south; Prof. Francis Durosinmi-Etti from South-west; and Mr.
Rex-Ogbuku from South-south.
In acting capacity, Mr. David O. Fakeye from South-west and Mr.
Jonas C. Umeh from South-east have also held the position.
The incumbent secretary is Tukur, who was appointed by Buhari in
March 2017 for an initial tenure of four years, which would end in
February 2021, is from Taraba State in the North-east.
THISDAY gathered that according to the principle of federal
character, as contained in the Act governing the commission,
leadership positions ought to be equally distributed between
zones.
The implication, it was learnt, would be that the chairmanship
position should, going by the principle of federal character and as
stated in the constitution, automatically, go to the southern part
of the country.
This North-South balance had been established by the presidency
of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Alhaji Umaru Yar’Adua and Dr. Goodluck
Jonathan who had appointed northerners as chairmen and southerners
as secretaries.
“When Mr. President appointed Mohammed Bello Tukur, the Legal
Adviser of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria
(MACBAN) as the secretary of the Federal Character Commission, many
thought it was to pave the way for the first Southern chairman of
the commission. That was not to be,” said a displeased senator who
preferred anonymity, adding: “Instead in a rather brazen act, the
penultimate Ag. Chairman, Mallam Shettima, rather than handover to
a southern commissioner handed over to the secretary of the
commission.”
The senator, who urged his colleagues not to confirm the
nomination of the chairman of the commission, accused the Buhari
administration of consistently violating “one of the most ingenious
and ambitious affirmative actions entrenched in our constitution to
promote national unity uniquely named federal character.”
“This consistent negation of a critical national consensus
should be resisted and rejected by all well-meaning Nigerians
starting from the Senate. The seeds of national discord have been
systematically sowed over the past five years and should be
halted,” he alleged.
The senator urged the Senate to defend the supremacy of the
constitution and the need to build an inclusive state.
Buhari, in a letter dated 18th March 2020 to the President of the
Senate, nominated Dankaka, a businesswoman, who was also a former
president of Kaduna Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and
Agriculture (KADCCIMA), as the chairperson of FCC and 37 others as
members of the board.
The 37 members are Henry Ogbulogo, Salihu Bello, Obonganwan
Ebong, Ibeabuchi Uche, Mohammed Tijjani, Tonye Okio, Silas
Macikpah, Abba Monguno and Nsor Atamgba.
Others are Alims Agoda, Tobias Chukwuemeka (deceased),
Imuetinyan Festus, Sesan Fatoba, Ginika Florence Tor, Hamza
Mohammed, Diogu Uche, Lawan Roni and Hadiza Muazu.
Also appointed are Muhammad Na‘iya, Lawal Garba, Abubakar Bunu,
Idris Bello, Daniel Kolo, Are Bolaji, Nasir Kwara, Maj. Gen.
Suleiman Said (rtd) and Abiodun Akinlade.
Buhari also appointed Olufemi Omosanya, Adeoye Olalekan, Adeniyi
Olowofela, Stephen Jings, Wokocha Augustine, Abdullahi Tafida,
Armaya’u Abubakar, Jibril Maigari, Sani Garba and Adamu
Sidi-Ali.
The appointment was contained in a letter, which was read out by
Lawan, at plenary on Tuesday.
The nomination of Dr. Muheeba Dankaka as chairman of the Federal
Character Commission (FCC) by President Muhammadu Buhari has
refreshed the controversy over the president’s perceived
non-application of the principle of federal character in his key
appointments, ThhisDay reports.
The President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, had on Tuesday
read the president’s letter seeking Senate approval for the
nomination of Dankaka and 37 others as chairman and members of the
commission, instituted by Section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution as
amended, to ensure that no section of the country dominates
appointments to the federal government and its agencies.
Specifically, the section specifies: “The composition of the
Government of the Federation or any of its agencies and the conduct
of its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect
the federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote national
unity, and also to command national loyalty, thereby ensuring that
there shall be no predominance of persons from a few states or from
a few ethnic or other sectional groups in that government or in any
of its agencies.”
FCC is saddled with the responsibility of enforcing this
constitutional provision.
Dankaka’s nomination is said to be in conflict with this
provision of the constitution on the ground that she is from Kwara
State, Northern Nigeria, she ought not to have been so nominated
because the secretary of the commission, Mr. Muhammad Tukur, is
from Taraba State also from the North.
The critics’ argument is that this pattern of appointment
negates the constitution, the enabling law and convention.
They refer to Section 4 of the enabling law, Federal Character
Commission Act No 34 of 1996, to buttress their argument. It
states: “Where the number of positions available cannot go round,
the states of the federation or the Federal Capital, the
distribution shall be on a zonal basis. But in the case where two
positions are available, the positions shall be shared between the
northern and southern zones.”
For them, the two principal positions are the chairman and
secretary of the commission and by the spirit and letters of the
law, they ought to be distributed between the North and the
South.
They also summon convention as their witness, saying past
administrations have maintained a balance in appointments between
the two principal geo-political zones.
According to them, a brief history of the leadership of the
commission shows that from 1996 till date, there have been lopsided
appointments of the executive chairmen of the commission.
For instance, Alhaji Adamu Fika from Yobe in North-east; Alhaji
Bello Kofabai from Katsina in the North-west and Professor Shuaibu
Oba Abdul Raheem from Kwara in the North-central, have held the
position since 1996.
In acting capacity, the chairmanship of the commission has been
held by Alhaji Muhammadu Ari-Gwaska from North-central; Alhaji
Ibrahim Funtua, from Katsina in the North-west; Alhaji Muhammad
Alkali from Kebbi in North-west; Dr. Shettima Bukar Abba from Borno
in the North-east; Mr. Abayomi Sheba from Ondo in the South-west,
and Ambassador Shinkafi from Zamfara State, the current acting
chairman whose tenure ended on April 20, 2020, after two terms in
office is from the North-west.
THISDAY gathered that during the period under review, the
position of the substantive secretary was held by southerners,
including Mr. A. O. Effenga from South-south; Mr. O. P Emerhan from
South-south; Prof. Francis Durosinmi-Etti from South-west; and Mr.
Rex-Ogbuku from South-south.
In acting capacity, Mr. David O. Fakeye from South-west and Mr.
Jonas C. Umeh from South-east have also held the position.
The incumbent secretary is Tukur, who was appointed by Buhari in
March 2017 for an initial tenure of four years, which would end in
February 2021, is from Taraba State in the North-east.
THISDAY gathered that according to the principle of federal
character, as contained in the Act governing the commission,
leadership positions ought to be equally distributed between
zones.
The implication, it was learnt, would be that the chairmanship
position should, going by the principle of federal character and as
stated in the constitution, automatically, go to the southern part
of the country.
This North-South balance had been established by the presidency
of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Alhaji Umaru Yar’Adua and Dr. Goodluck
Jonathan who had appointed northerners as chairmen and southerners
as secretaries.
“When Mr. President appointed Mohammed Bello Tukur, the Legal
Adviser of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria
(MACBAN) as the secretary of the Federal Character Commission, many
thought it was to pave the way for the first Southern chairman of
the commission. That was not to be,” said a displeased senator who
preferred anonymity, adding: “Instead in a rather brazen act, the
penultimate Ag. Chairman, Mallam Shettima, rather than handover to
a southern commissioner handed over to the secretary of the
commission.”
The senator, who urged his colleagues not to confirm the
nomination of the chairman of the commission, accused the Buhari
administration of consistently violating “one of the most ingenious
and ambitious affirmative actions entrenched in our constitution to
promote national unity uniquely named federal character.”
“This consistent negation of a critical national consensus
should be resisted and rejected by all well-meaning Nigerians
starting from the Senate. The seeds of national discord have been
systematically sowed over the past five years and should be
halted,” he alleged.
The senator urged the Senate to defend the supremacy of the
constitution and the need to build an inclusive state.
Buhari, in a letter dated 18th March 2020 to the President of the
Senate, nominated Dankaka, a businesswoman, who was also a former
president of Kaduna Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and
Agriculture (KADCCIMA), as the chairperson of FCC and 37 others as
members of the board.
The 37 members are Henry Ogbulogo, Salihu Bello, Obonganwan
Ebong, Ibeabuchi Uche, Mohammed Tijjani, Tonye Okio, Silas
Macikpah, Abba Monguno and Nsor Atamgba.
Others are Alims Agoda, Tobias Chukwuemeka (deceased),
Imuetinyan Festus, Sesan Fatoba, Ginika Florence Tor, Hamza
Mohammed, Diogu Uche, Lawan Roni and Hadiza Muazu.
Also appointed are Muhammad Na‘iya, Lawal Garba, Abubakar Bunu,
Idris Bello, Daniel Kolo, Are Bolaji, Nasir Kwara, Maj. Gen.
Suleiman Said (rtd) and Abiodun Akinlade.
Buhari also appointed Olufemi Omosanya, Adeoye Olalekan, Adeniyi
Olowofela, Stephen Jings, Wokocha Augustine, Abdullahi Tafida,
Armaya’u Abubakar, Jibril Maigari, Sani Garba and Adamu
Sidi-Ali.
The appointment was contained in a letter, which was read out by
Lawan, at plenary on Tuesday.