Civil society group makes case for Southern as FCC secretary

A civil society group, Coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CCSOs) last Friday appealed to President Mohammadu Buhari to appoint a southern candidate as a substantive Secretary of Federal Character Commission (FCC).

The Coalition at a press conference in Osogbo, the Osun state capital noted that it would be a thing of joy, if President Buhari could appoint a southern candidate to succeed the outgoing Federal Character Commission (FCC) secretary, Alhaji Muhammed Bello, whose tenure ends next week.

The Convener of Values of Unlimited Restorative Justice, Oluwole Oladapo who addressed the press on behalf of Civil Society Organisations, observed that since the creation of the commission in 1996, the tradition had always been the Chairman from the North and Secretary from the South, respectively.

Speaking further, Oladapo said the Coalition believed that the president would prove his commitment to equity, fairness and justice for all in Nigeria in the appointment of a southern candidate as the Secretary of the commission.

According to him, “the Federal Character Commission, according to Section 153(1) of the 1999 Constitution as amended is meant to be the custodian of the principle of federal character and is mandated to ensure compliance with this principle by all federal agencies, departments and parastatals in Nigeria.

“Hence, charity should ordinarily begin from the home of the commission by respecting the provision of the law and appoint its Secretary from the Southern part of Nigeria”, he added.

Also commenting, Ayo Ologun, the Convener of Oodua Youth Initiative, emphasized that appointing a southern candidate as Secretary of the commission would promote unity and principle of fairness in the country.

He, however appealed to President Buhari to use his good office to see to it that a southern candidate is appointed as a substantive secretary of the commission.