Character Commission at war with itself
While Professor Abdulraheem Oba had resigned on 13th December 2010 to contest the gubernatorial seat in his home state, Kwara but failed to pick the ticket of the PDP, the secretary is allegedly holding on after eight years in the saddle due to connections in the Presidency which he often boasts of. He was appointed […]
While Professor Abdulraheem Oba had resigned on 13th December 2010 to contest the gubernatorial seat in his home state, Kwara but failed to pick the ticket of the PDP, the secretary is allegedly holding on after eight years in the saddle due to connections in the Presidency which he often boasts of. He was appointed secretary to the commission in 2003. He is a professor and has been on working sabbatical from the University of Lagos for more than eight years now.
The mandate of the commission as contained in the establishing act is “to enforce the Federal Character Principles which is aimed at ensuring fair and equitable distribution of posts and of social-economic amenities, infrastructural facilities among the federating units nationwide.”
But in the present circumstance, what is happening is well outside the mandate as hapless Nigerians who are marginalized in the job market groan. The commission seems to be in a fit of death or better put, throes of death.
There is a stalemate at the commission at the moment, Sunday Trust learnt. Gwaska, the member representing the Nasarawa state who was appointed acting Executive Chairman by the President following Oba’s resignation has refused to hand over to the re-instated chairman, Oba.
Prof. Oba has resumed and going about as the chairman. Hon. Gwaska was said to have brought to the expiration of the commission’s Secretary two term tenure to the knowledge of other commissioners and the Director of legal affairs for advice. It was a unanimous agreement that the secretary was due to retire, Sunday Trust learnt. At a meeting convened by acting chairman, the issue came up for discussion but it was cut short by the secretary who purportedly told the meeting that he had a message from Mr. president over his office.
A source who was at the meeting told Sunday Trust that a commissioner from one of the North-Central states challenged him, asking if he (Secretary) was the rightful person to bear the President’s message in the presence of the acting Executive Chairman. Tempers flared when one of the commissioners from a South Western state challenged his colleague from North Central ostensibly in defense of the secretary who is also from the South West. There was a shouting match between the two but their colleagues were able to bring the situation under control.
Sunday Trust further gathered in reaction, the embattled secretary wrote a memo to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) to say that commissioners from the North and South were fighting.
A copy of the letter obtained by Sunday Trust was marked urgent, and addressed to the SGF, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim dated August 10, 2011.
He told the SGF that Ari Gwaska was overstaying the six months tenure acting capacity as chairman of the commission. He therefore called for appointment of a new substantive chairman of the commission or that a new acting one be appointed from another geopolitical zone as had been practiced in the past.
The secretary described Gwaska’s seven months in the saddle as being “a disaster.” He wrote that “the commission went from crisis to crisis on regular weekly basis.” He further accused him of spending over N8 million on frivolous travels and causing sharp division among members from the north and south at plenary that morning in an attempt to ‘harass and disgrace the secretary to the commission.”
Not done yet, Prof. Etti urged the SGF “to take quick action in filling the vacant position of chairman as his continued stay as acting chairman would wreck the commission very quickly besides his poor educational qualification and his age are definitely major hindrances to his performance.”
Indeed, that quick action was taken by the SGF, a day after as Prof
Shuaibu Abdulraheem Oba was re-appointed chairman of the commission via a letter dated August 11, 2011 with reference SGF.19/S.51/VII/149.
The appointment letter said Oba’s withdrawal of resignation letter written on January 5, 2011 was finally accepted by the government and that Mr. President has approved his “reinstatement as chairman of the commission with immediate effect.”
The reinstatement is for you to serve out your residual term which commenced in April 2008,” it said.
Sunday Trust checks further revealed that the embattled Secretary, fond of boasting of having dinner with Mr. president told the commission’s members that he would stay on, and that he would prove to them he is well connected at the Aso Rock villa.
Trouble started when Gwaska attempted to implement the federal government circular on civil servants and political office holders of tenured appointments. His Special Assistant Mrs Hannatu Mamman in an internal memo dated August 2nd, 2011 the commissioners, Directors and staff were informed that the scribe, Prof Durosinmi-Etti’s eight year tenure had expired and that the most senior director Kabir Kolo Geidam was named acting secretary with effect from July 4, 2011 pending the appointment of a substantive secretary by Mr. President.
Same day, Prof. Durosinmi-Etti issued a memo to all commissioners and staff to disregard the appointment. He threatened to deal with Kolo Geidam and any staff for that matter who ‘persist(s) in obstructing the effective functioning of the work of the secretary to the commission. He said the acting chairman’s pronouncement was NULL and VOID, as his tenure in acting capacity had gone past the six month window. The letter was copied to the Secretary to the government of the federation, chief of staff to the President and even the acting chairman of the commission.
A circular dated 27th, July, 2009 with reference number
HCSF/EMS/EIR/B.63694/IV/T2/96 from the office of the Head of Service, the federal government clarified that career officers who wish to take up tenured appointments should at the point of taking up the appointment, retire from service to ensure they run their term uninterrupted; that career officers who have not retired or choose to retire from service, before the commencement of their tenured appointment must leave office on the attainment of the mandatory age/years of service for retirement; and that career officers who currently hold tenured appointments are required to retire from service with immediate effect and continue to run their term. Failure to do so would mean that they would vacate office on attaining the mandatory retirement age or at the expiration of their term, which ever comes first. It was signed by then Head of Service, Stephen Oronsaye and was copied to all ministers, heads of government parastatals and agencies including the Principal Secretary to the President, and .Special Advisers or the President among others.
Yet another circular was issued on August 26, 2009 by Stephen Oronsaye to cover the tenure of office for permanent secretaries and directors which read in part; “government has approved that permanent secretaries shall hold office for a term of four years, renewable for a further term of director. They shall compulsorily retire upon serving eight years on post.”
Either way, the commission’s secretary was due for retirement since July, Sunday Trust learnt. It is however alleged that the letter of appointment of the secretary didn’t contain his tenure; i.e. how long he was supposed to stay and it is now alleged he is now capitalizing on that to stay on. He has always been treated as and enjoyed the privileges of a permanent secretary, Sunday Trust gathered.
A fall out of the warring officials was reportedly execerbated by was the protest staged by a group of youths under the aegis of National Association of Unemployed Youths in Nigeria, an allegedly phantom a fathom group, put together by the secretary commission to discredit the acting Chairman.
Sources told Sunday Trust that the leader of the protesters works at a restaurant near the commission where he pounds yam.
When President Jonathan visited Kwara state during his presidential campaign for the 2011 elections, Sunday Trust learnt that Oba’s inability to get the PDP’s ticket for Kawara allegedly came up at a meeting and a deal was struck where the President agreed to have him returned to the Federal Character Commission. However, the deal couldn’t be carried out since the President has accepted his resignation. Ever since, there have been a lookouts for an excuse to predicate his return on and that came when the secretary’s continued stay was threatened by the Acting chairman.
The Secretary then found an ally in the reinstated chairman as their animosity of the past months was put behind them since they now share a common challenge.
When the federal character commission was established by the government of late Head of state Gen. Sani Abacha in 1996, the intention was obviously for it be the watch dog of government ministries and agencies in ensuring an evenly distributed work force that reflects ethnic diversity of the country. This cuts across the three tiers of government. The commission therefore has a commissioner from every state of the federation appointed by the president on the recommendation of the state governor for a tenure of five years subject to renewal for a second. They are also screened and confirmed by the senate.
Violation of the federal character principles are numerous but Sunday Trust learnt the most intriguing challenge now is that the commission is now experiencing interval squabbles that obviously threatening to rubbish the whole essence of the commission.
For instance, while reacting to a petition against him in the Sunday Trust of June 5, the Secretary to the commission, Prof Durosinmi-Etti accused Prof. Oba of being a rogue who had monopolized the commission through lopsided employment slots and award of contracts to his Kwara kinsmen against the spirit of the commission.
Prof. F.A. Durosinmi-Etti said “there is lopsidedness in Customs, there is in Immigration, in NDLEA, civil defence corps, national population. In fact, I will show you evidence of the latest. Now, put on record that I said those petitions who wrote are accusing themselves and I know who wrote it and that is the former chairman of the commission. His name is Professor Abdulraheem Oba former Vice Chancellor University of Ilorin.