Senate Screens FCT CJ, Justice Garba, Warns FG Against Lopsided Appointments

Chairman Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal
Matters, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, (Ekiti Central), on Monday,
urged the Federal Government to ensure all its appointments are
based on merit and federal character principle.

Bamidele spoke during the screening of Hon. Justice Salisu Garba
Abdullahi, for appointment as the Chief Judge of the High Court of
the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), in Abuja by the Committee.

He said adherence to merit and federal character principle in
appointments would prevent “unnecessarily heating up the polity and
eroding the unity and strength of our country and in the process,
weakening the foundation of our country as well as the hope of its
federating units.”

Bamidele said: “Finally, the need for merit and compliance in
the consideration of citizens for appointment, including the ones
that will come before the Senate for confirmation, must be
re-emphasised for the record.

“In addition to ensuring that potential appointees meet the
eligibility criteria stipulated for the relevant public offices
into which they are being appointed, adequate care must also be
taken to ensure that the federal character principle established by
virtue of the clear provision of Section 14, Sub-section (3) of the
1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as altered)
is not undermined.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the above cited Constitutional
provision clearly states that: ‘(3) 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.’

“We have an extremely bright and exciting future in one
indivisible and indissoluble nation that is propelled by unity in
diversity and all hands must be on deck to ensure this aspiration
is guided jealously.

“This shall remain our guiding principle in the 9th Senate under
Senator Ahmad Lawan’s watch as we continue to guard jealously the
spirit and letters of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria, which we all swore to protect in the overriding public and
national interests.

“Beyond making the above appeal, may I also add that it is not
only morally and politically correct to ensure compliance with
Section 14 (3) of our Constitution, establishing the federal
character principle.”

Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly
Matters (Senate), Senator Babajide Omoworare, said the concerns of
the Committee have been duly noted and would be conveyed to the
relevant authorities.

Chairman Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal
Matters, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, (Ekiti Central), on Monday,
urged the Federal Government to ensure all its appointments are
based on merit and federal character principle.

Bamidele spoke during the screening of Hon. Justice Salisu Garba
Abdullahi, for appointment as the Chief Judge of the High Court of
the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), in Abuja by the Committee.

He said adherence to merit and federal character principle in
appointments would prevent “unnecessarily heating up the polity and
eroding the unity and strength of our country and in the process,
weakening the foundation of our country as well as the hope of its
federating units.”

Bamidele said: “Finally, the need for merit and compliance in
the consideration of citizens for appointment, including the ones
that will come before the Senate for confirmation, must be
re-emphasised for the record.

“In addition to ensuring that potential appointees meet the
eligibility criteria stipulated for the relevant public offices
into which they are being appointed, adequate care must also be
taken to ensure that the federal character principle established by
virtue of the clear provision of Section 14, Sub-section (3) of the
1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as altered)
is not undermined.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the above cited Constitutional
provision clearly states that: ‘(3) 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.’

“We have an extremely bright and exciting future in one
indivisible and indissoluble nation that is propelled by unity in
diversity and all hands must be on deck to ensure this aspiration
is guided jealously.

“This shall remain our guiding principle in the 9th Senate under
Senator Ahmad Lawan’s watch as we continue to guard jealously the
spirit and letters of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria, which we all swore to protect in the overriding public and
national interests.

“Beyond making the above appeal, may I also add that it is not
only morally and politically correct to ensure compliance with
Section 14 (3) of our Constitution, establishing the federal
character principle.”

Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly
Matters (Senate), Senator Babajide Omoworare, said the concerns of
the Committee have been duly noted and would be conveyed to the
relevant authorities.