INTRO: First muted by Murtala Muhammed in his address to the
opening session of the Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) in 1975, the
Federal Character principle is a political instrument of ensuring
representativeness of the diverse people of Nigeria in public positions and
affairs.
It was seen as an oily formula to silence the troubled waters
in Nigeria and the panacea to the issue of political economic instability which
obstructs the balancing of the North and South on the one hand and the various
ethnic groups mainly the three dominant ethnic groups (Igbo, Yoruba and the Hausa/Fulani)
and also other minority ethnic groups on the other hand. According to the CDC’s
report of 1977, Federal Character refers to the distinctive desire of the
peoples of Nigeria to promote national unity, foster national loyalty 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. Federal Character principle has featured in Nigeria’s
constitutions since 1979. Today, Section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution as
Amended provides: 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. There
have been several calls to abolish Federal Character principle due to the
reasons below:
1. Federal Character Promotes Mediocrity: It is argued that Federal Character principle downplays
merit in favour of the place of origin. In order words, it is not concerned
with what but who is coming from where. By this, Federal Character accepts even
a mediocre once the place of origin is satisfactory, thus sacrificing
meritocracy at the altar of mediocrity.
Critics argue that the functionality of the system possible
only through meritocracy should take precedence in appointment of personnel
into positions of authority.
2. Federal Character is Unfair: This is an irony of the Federal Character principle.
The political construct was designed for achieving fairness but critics see it
as unfair, saying that it treats unequals equally, and there is no greater
inequality than equal treatment of unequals. How fair is it to have equal
representation in Nigeria’s diversities, especially in population?
3. Federal Character Highlights Nigeria’s Diversity: It is known that Nigeria is a multi-ethnic country with
over 250 tongues and tribes. The peculiar interest of Federal Character
principle in places of origin of Nigeria’s citizens highlights what divides
Nigeria rather than what unites it. It is noteworthy that this attribute of
Federal Character principle runs foul to the efforts to achieving national
integration.
4. Federal Character Principle Lacks Sincere Implementation: A friend of mine once told me that even the Federal
Character Commission, an institution charged with enforcing the Federal
Character principle did not reflect Federal Character. I am yet to verify the
assertion but the fact remains that certain tribes still dominate in public
offices and positions. It is understandable, nepotism is baked into the DNA of
Africans. According to Donasco Chris:
About 70% of Nigeria
Foot-soldiers are from Hausa-Fulani. Is that Federal Character Principle?
About 80% of all Permanent Secretaries in Federal Ministries are from
Hausa-Fulani. Is that Federal Character Principle?
About 80% of those given Oil Wells presently in the Oil from Niger Delta Region
are from Hausa-Fulani. Is that Federal Character Principle?
About 60% of Generals in the Nigerian Military are from Hausa-Fulani. Is that
Federal Character Principle?
This skewed representation is a product of nepotism by the
northerners who for the most part have ruled Nigeria since the independence.
5. Federal Character is a Suspicious Policy in Southern Nigeria: Many a southerners are suspicious of the Federal
Character principle as a political machination in favour of the Northerners,
especially as it is a brainchild of a leader from the North. It should be
recalled that prior to the Civil War, Southerners dominated the leadership
positions in Nigeria, especially in the army and academia. It is suspected that
the then military leaders who were Northerners contrived the Federal Character
principle in order to checkmate another possible domination of Northerners by
the Southerners, especially, the vanquished South-Easterners. Thus, the Federal
Character principle was believed to be a design for giving the Northerners an
undue advantage. Aliyu Amani told a story:
I first came into contact
with a distorted perception of the federal character principle years ago while
serving the nation as an NYSC corps member.
That distorted perception was projected by a fellow corps
member, an Ibo lady, and graduate of the University of Nigeria Nsuka. She said
they were told by their lecturers at the UNN 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.
This little encounter by Aliyu with the Ibo corps member is
evident to the level of suspicion that the Southerners hold the Federal
Character principle.
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