FEDERAL CHARACTER IN NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
TAJUDEEN KAREEM urges the need to buy into the principle of federal character not merely for ethnic balancing but to foster national unity and development
Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country with over 250 ethnic groups from diverse cultures, languages, and traditions. One of the objectives for assessing the impact of any government including the Renewed Hope Agenda of the present administration is the performance of government across ministries, departments and agencies, (MDAs).
The essence of the federal character principle is to prevent the dominance of any particular ethnic group or region in the political and administrative landscape of Nigeria. The complexity of this country’s diversity necessitated the creation of the Federal Character Commission by Act No 34 of 1996. The Commission was empowered to implement and enforce the federal character principle of fairness and equity in the distribution of public positions and socio-economic infrastructure among the various federating units of the country. Others include ensuring equitable distribution of political dividends, national infrastructure and ensuring inclusiveness.
The performance of any government in executing its policies and programmes is to understand the remarkable difference that is adopted in engendering an enduring process for national development, based on service, competence and equity. This will involve the implementation of an efficient federal character principle for inclusiveness to ensure that there is mutual trust to accelerate corporate growth and development across the country. By promoting inclusiveness, the federal character principle is supposed to reduce ethnic tensions and grow national unity.
But in the past, the practical application of this principle has been marred by nepotism, corruption, and inefficiencies, thereby undermining its objectives. Other challenges include lopsided placement of civil servants at the federal and state levels without equity and fairness. Public offices have been sometimes allocated on the basis of party patronage rather than professional competence, merit or representation. This has led to inefficiencies in the public service because competence had been sacrificed on the altar of ethnic balancing.
The lopsided policy is however being corrected and the system is gradually changing with the appointment of Dr. Muheeba Dankaka, as Executive Chairperson of the commission.
To reintroduce the efficient machinery that once made this nation’s civil service drive national development and become the envy of other developing countries in Africa ; there is the need for an equitable formula, subject to the approval of the president or state governor for the distribution of all cadres of positions in the civil and public service in Nigeria. This should cut across the security agencies (Armed Forces, Nigerian Police and others) at the Federal Ministries and Agencies. This should be replicated at the state level so that the minority ethnic groups will not feel marginalized and become aggrieved.
The legal framework to promote, monitor and enforce compliance with the principles of proportional sharing of all bureaucratic, economic, media and political positions at all levels of government is a step in the right direction. The measures should include the prosecution of the heads or staff of any ministry, extra-ministerial department or agency which does not comply with the federal character principle or formula as prescribed by the law.
The targets of Federal Character Commission that recruitment into the public service and appointments of the political office holders nationwide is in compliance with the federal character guidelines is another step in the right direction.
This should also apply to the provision of infrastructure such as roads, bridges, hospitals and water.
Addressing the challenges of infrastructure by involving the Nigeria Governors’ Forum will make the federal character principle more efficient, to ensure that all regions are not only fairly represented at the federal but at the state levels.
How then can these laudable vision be achieved? There should be aggressive and purposive sensitization and education on the importance of the federal character principle to correct public perception and promote a more inclusive and united Nigeria. Nigerians should be made to buy into the principle of federal character and see that it is not merely for ethnic balancing but to foster national unity and development.
By adopting a more efficient approach to balance merit and equitable representation, transparency, and public awareness, this nation can harness the full potential of the federal character principle. This will not only contribute to building a more inclusive, united, and progressive nation where every citizen will feel represented but promote patriotism and higher self-esteem.
Kareem is a public policy analyst based in Abuja
