Activist Begs Buhari To Apply Justice In FCC, Police Trust Fund Appointments

By Chuks Ekpeneru

President Muhammadu Buhari has been accused of violating the constitution in appointments made into the Federal Character Commission and Police Trust Fund.

This was stated by a Legislative Expert and Public Affairs Analyst, Akinloye Oyeniyi, who urged the President to adhere to principles of federal character in making appointments.

Oyeniyi said the appointments were lopsided in favour of the North.

President Buhari on Wednesday approved the appointments of former Inspector-General of Police, Suleman Abba as the Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Police Trust Fund, while Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto will serve as the Executive Secretary.

In the composition of the Federal Character Commission board, Buhari also appointed the Chairman and Secretary from the north.

Oyeniyi in a press statement on Thursday appealed to President Buhari to ensure justice by reconstituting the said Board not to only reflect national spread, but national cohesion.

“It is another major concern to me when the nation was greeted with the news of the appointments of two Nigerians not only from the same divide but from the same geo-political zone as the two main board executives of the Nigeria Police Trust Fund Board and like in my last reaction on the lopsided appointments into the Federal Character Commission last week. So, I am calling on the president to rescind his decision and do justice accordingly.

“Yes, in pursuant to Section 7 subsection 3 of the NPTF Act 2018, the president is to appoint a former Inspector-General of Police and another person as the Chairman and Executive Secretary/Secretary of the Board; and that ordinarily should have been done alternating the two topmost positions between the two divides of Nigeria for balance and national cohesion especially when the current Inspector-General of Police who is also a member of the Board is also from the North.

“Nigerians are aware some past police chiefs of southern extraction have in the past and recent been appointed into positions after their retirement but are also aware there are still others like Mr. Ogbona Onovo and Mr. Solomon Arase that can still be appointed as the BoT Chairman in place of Mr. Abba. But if Mr. President wants Mr. Abba there, there are league of sound and resourceful southerners that can be appointed as the Executive Secretary of the Board.

“These are sensitive issues here. The BoT Chairman, Mr. Suleman Abba from Jigawa State will be serving as the overall head and the Executive Secretary, Ahmed Sokoto from Sokoto State will not only be serving as the Chief Executive Officer of the Fund but the Secretary of the BoT according to Section 15 subsections (A) and (C), thereby domiciling these two topmost positions of a Board already having the Inspector-General of Police from the North on it, not only in the North which in itself is already an affront on the Section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution, but entirely in only the North West geo-political zone.

“So, I am calling on President Buhari to reverse any of these two top appointments and make replacement in a socially accepted manner, especially as prescribed by the

Section 14 subsection 3 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) which forbids composition of any of government agencies and their affairs being carried out in such manners not reflecting the federal character of Nigeria, promoting national unity and commanding national loyalty, so as to ensure no predominance of persons from the same area or group in any of these agencies.”

Send Us A Press Statement Advertise With Us Contact Us

 And For More Nigerian News Visit GWG.NG