By Adesuwa Tsan, Abuja
The Senate has accused the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Pension Commission (PENCOM), the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) and several other Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the Federal Government of consistently violating the federal character principle in appointments, promotions and recruitment.
It also directed its Committee on Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs to conduct investigative hearings on all MDAs to assess their compliance with federal character provisions.
This was revealed during plenary yesterday when lawmakers adopted a motion sponsored by Senator Osita Ngwu, titled: “Urgent Need to Address Systemic Abuse and Ineffective Implementation of the Federal Character Principle in Nigeria’s Public Sector.”
Leading the debate, Ngwu stressed that Sections 14(3) and 14(4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) explicitly prohibit the dominance of individuals from a few states or ethnic groups in federal institutions. He lamented that while recruitment opportunities remain limited, promotions are often based solely on years of service rather than merit, leading to the continued marginalisation of certain regions.
According to him, the lack of accountability in enforcing federal character principles has compromised fairness in the public sector, with senior-level recruitment frequently influenced by favoritism instead of competence.
Ngwu further observed that while the principle aims to balance merit with equitable state representation, its poor implementation has negatively affected discipline, morale, and institutional efficiency.
“The Federal Character Principle, entrenched in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), mandates fair representation in federal appointments to reflect the linguistic, ethnic, religious, and geographic diversity of the nation,” he stated. “Section 14(3) & (4) of the Constitution unequivocally stipulates that ‘no predominance of persons from a few states or from a few ethnic or sectional groups’ should exist within the federal government or its agencies.”
Listing agencies that have allegedly failed to comply with the federal character principle, he named NNPCL and its subsidiaries, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), PENCOM, NDIC, the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA), the National Library of Nigeria (NLN), the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN), the Solid Minerals Development Fund (SMDF), and the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA).
These institutions, he alleged, “have consistently failed to adhere to federal character mandates, often bypassing regulations in their recruitment exercises (evidence abound).”
Ngwu warned that unchecked violations of federal character laws would continue to erode the effectiveness of key legislative provisions, including Section 14(d) & (e) of the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act, 2017, Part I(1)-(2) of the Subsidiary Legislation 23 of 1997, and Section 11(2) of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011.
He also raised concerns about the Federal Character Commission (FCC), arguing that despite its constitutional mandate, it remains weakened by underfunding, political interference, and a lack of enforcement power.
Contributing to the motion, Victor Umeh accused the Federal Government of breaching the principle in appointments and infrastructural development.
He noted the need to ensure that every part of Nigeria must be included in the conduct of government affairs to preserve national unity.
While citing the exclusion of the eastern rail line from the 2025 budget and low ministerial appointments as examples of how the government’s breach has affected the south east region, he said, “my zone has been the greatest victim of this breach. My zone is mostly affected. We have 5 ministers when others have a minimum of 8. No part of Nigeria should be left behind,” he stressed.
However, Adams Oshiomhole, called on the Senate to undertake its functions more seriously, asking, “Who is marginalising who?”
“All major appointments are subject to the confirmation of this Senate,” he noted.
The Senate, after adopting the recommendation of the motion, directed its Committee on Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs to conduct investigative hearings on all MDAs to assess their compliance with federal character provisions. The committee is expected to submit its findings within four weeks.