Protesters under the aegis of Citizens Advocacy for Equity and Educational Development yesterday in Abuja kicked against the appointment of Prof. Charles Uwakwe as the new Executive Secretary of the National Examination Council (NECO).
The protest which was held at the ministry of education, saw the protesters decrying what they described as "ethnic emasculation and colonization of the National Examinations Council by the Southern section of the country over successive years as the respective Registrars from the South have made it a bounden duty to massively recruit individuals of similar ethnic extraction without recourse to sacrosanct principle of Federal Character."
Addressing the protest Comrade Danesi Momoh said the lopsided appointment of NECO Registrar in favor of the Southern region has also made favoritism and nepotism to become the order of the day in terms of promotions and transfers in this sensitive education Agency
He said, "since the establishment of NECO, four out of the five Registrars appointed so far have been from the Southern region. While we do not begrudge the appointment of any individual, it has been brought to our consistent notice that the streak of appointments since the reign of Prof. Promise Okpala was nothing but a conduit for ethnic perpetuation and ingratiation which continued with the subsequent appointment of Prof. Tommy Joshua.
"The acts of nepotism perpetrated by this duo resulted in sustained massive outcry against their actions. Especially when viewed against the backdrop of the fact that the National Headquarters of NECO is instructively sited in the Northern region of the country.
It therefore urged the Minister to "save NECO from the fever and fear of another crisis by swapping Prof. Charles Uwakwe with another appointee among those from the North."

Isn't it quite obvious Northerners are the most educated and qualified? ?

Rubbish, What of NTI that was in existence before NECO which is always headed by northerners as if it is their birth right? UBEC was once headed by a Southerner at inception, since then the north has colonised it. A Southerner has never be executive secretary of NCCE. TETfund has always being headed by northerners since inception. Almost all parastatals of Federal ministry of Education are being headed by northerners without protest from the south and I feel that is how it should be. We should treat ourselves as brothers not embarking on useless protests over appointments.