There has been relentless campaign of calumny against the chairman of the Federal Character Commission, Dr Muheeba Dankaka, and now being extended to the person and office of Mr President. The intent of the authors of the vitriolic attacks being peddled in the media is simply to cast President Muhammadu Buhari and his administration in bad light as being nepotistic in all its actions and decisions.
It is the late President of Russia, Gorbachev who stated that a pessimist is a well informed optimist. We have for so long for the sake of national unity and cohesion decided to keep mum in the midst of these accusations made only from the angle of parochialism but have now decided to come forward to put the record straight so that these misleading accusations would not be termed as true, especially, by gullible Nigerians.
The Federal Character Commission of Nigeria, FCC, came into existence pursuant to the yearnings of Nigerians for a reform that would address the thorny issues of inequality and ethnic domination in the MDAs. This is to be done by ensuring the equitable representations of different groups in all tiers of government as well as monitoring the implementations of these very noble objectives.
It is true and crystal clear that the constitution of Nigeria stipulates that the Federal Character Commission should be constituted in a way and manner that would truly make it the custodian of the principles as enshrined in the constitution. The FCC is also given the responsibility of ensuring that all federal agencies and parastatals adhere and respect these constitutional provisions.We make bold to say and without mincing word that with the quantum of verified data and statistics at our disposal that President Buhari and indeed his administration have kept its promise to this country by ensuring that all sections and divides in the country got her fair share of appointive positions.
Why are we villifying a president who has worked tiredlessly hard in ensuring that equity and justice is not only done but seen to be done except for the only reason that he is not from our part of the country?.The president has always stated that his avowed promise of ensuring even distribution to all sections and strata of the country is his conviction that this distribution would ensure balance and make every part of the country have a sense of belonging.
To the very few pessimists, who never see any action of President Buhari as well intentioned, they are today not losing sleep by giving the actions of Mr President, particularly, as it concerns the FCC ethnic colouration. The appointment of the chairman of the FCC.went through due process and many would patroitically attest to the fact that she has been performing wonderfully well as the head of that commission.
She has brought a lot of positive changes through reforms to the commission that have gone a long way in eliminating the bad perception people hitherto had about the FCC.The practice in the FCC now is termed business unusual and we are of the view that these changes have negatively affected the paymasters of these pessimistic elements. Rushing to the media with unverifiable accussations now seems to be part of the game plan of making the chairman have sleepless nights.
It’s wrong to speculate that President Buhari and the chairman have deviated from the FCC objectives of ensuring equity but have knowingly and unknowingly because of their ethnic agenda abandoned the constitutional provisions and are now operating at variance with their initial promise. You know it is a lie you crafted from the pit of hell to denigrade some of our very best who mean well for Nigeria.
Of particular concern is the pessimistic view that the re-appointment of the secretary of the commission was done in total disregard to constitutional provisions.
Those making this assertion deserve pity as they failed to take into consideration that Alhaji Mohammed Tukur Bello deserved a second term having been adjudged by Mr President to have performed excellently in his first term and merited a second term. It’s foolish to make ignorant assertions at every turn about the inner workings of government rather than verifying them by virtue of the Freedom of Information Act.
President Buhari has within his powers done the right thing by appointing as constitutionally required a commissioner from each of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territtory. It’s important to stress that he president’s re-appointment of Mohammed Bello Tukur as secretary of the FCC.has not breached any constitutional provision and has not in any way affected the promotion of national unity and loyalty. Nigeria today still remains a strong and united country.
Casting your country
