The Federal Character Commission (FCC) on Thursday restated its commitment to averting lopsidedness.
It was also stated that the FCC was established to promote , monitor and enforce strict compliance with the guiding principles and formulae designed to ensure proportional sharing of all bureaucratic, economic, media and political posts at all levels of government ditto for socio- economic amenities and infrastructural.
The Commission’s Commissioners representing Oyo and Osun states, Professor Adeniyi Olowofela and Barrister Abdulrazak Âdeoye said this during a courtesy visit to the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State (BCOS) in Ibadan.
In their separate remarks, the federal commissioners said the Commission’s core aim was to avert lopsidedness, thus “the basis whereby when MDAs want to employ they come to us, we look at their list and we ensure compliance”.
They maintained that the FCC had successfully worked out equitable formulae for the distribution of all cadres of posts in the public services of the federation, state, local government and government owned companies, parastatals and agencies, adding that the commission was further mandated by the constitution to take legal measures against any individual, federal or state ministry, local government or government agency which fails to comply with the guiding principles and formulae prescribed or adopted by it.
According to Prof. Olowofela, the FCC was empowered to demand and receive returns on employment and socio-economic indices from any government enterprise or body, corporate and penalize any enterprise which does not comply with a request from the commission. The ex-Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology and former council gaffer of Ido Local Government also disclosed that the commission has devises a committee system to effectively monitor the implementation of its guidelines and formulae for the distribution of posts and socio-economic amenities amongst the federating units.
“We were created to avert lopsidedness. There is virtually no agency that wants to give people job that will not invite us at the FCC. The basis for inviting us is to ensure that the principle is followed. By and large, the commission is hopeful that whenever fresh recruitments are being made in your establishment, you would inform us accordingly for the statutory monitoring of the recruitment exercise. The monitoring exercise would give ample opportunities to candidates, especially those from under represented LGAs to fill their vacant slots, there by reducing whatever imbalances that may exist in the distribution of posts in your Broadcasting Corporation”, he said.
Olowofela, however solicited for the corporation’s support and cooperation for the implementation of the FCC principles so as to collectively achieve a strong, united and economically formidable state and nation of our dream.
Also commenting, the FCC Commissioner representing Osun state, Barrister Adeoye maintained that the FCC was a creation of the Military’s Decree 34 of 1996 following the yearnings of the people for correction of imbalances in the distribution of posts in the public services of the federation as well as Social and Economic facilities.
Adeoye informed that the commission was one of the fourteen independent federal executive bodies established by section 153 of the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended. He stressed that its composition, functions and powers are as prescribed by the constitution and amplified by the Federal Character Commission Act Cap F7 LFN 2004.
“It is important to state that this particular commission was established with the aim of making this executive body independent, and answerable only to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”, he emphasized.
Speaking further, Barrister Adeoye noted that the Southwest have always been having misdemeanor lopsidedness. He explained that there are parameters which the FCC has set for every state of the federation, urging the region to take active steps whenever there is any recruitment exercise (s)
The Osun FCC Commissioner harped on the need for the people of Southwest to be sensitized, advising them to report any imbalance to the states’ representatives.
Responding, Mr Dotun Oyelade , the Executive Chairman of the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State (BCOS) who was represented by its General Manager, Mr. Tunde Ajayi assured the FCC of the corporation’s support.
” For us at BCOS, we have the consciousness that will need to uphold the unity of Nigeria”, he added.
