FG may de-emphasise federal character
Written by .
Friday, 15 May 2009

The federal character policy might cease to be a key consideration for employment if it undermined Nigeria’s interest, Foreign Affairs Minister Ojo Maduekwe said yesterday.

Maduekwe said at an interactive session with newsmen in Lagos that if the policy would result in incompetence in the civil service, it would be de-emphasised.

“That is why the government since 1999 has continued to emphasise merit in employment in the civil service. No section of the country, though, has the monopoly of the best, but efforts are being made to ensure that equity goes with merit,” he said.

He said the ministry was making efforts to relocate the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) from Lagos to Abuja.

According to him, the move is to enable the ministry to make the best use of the institute.

Maduekwe said the NIIA had been useful, and lauded its management for supporting the Federal Government in its foreign relations. (NAN)

fingers crossed

sbo:

fingers crossed

Why are you crossing your fingers on a very vital issue like this?
This federal character/quota system is due for scrapping.

nuzo:

Why are you crossing your fingers on a very vital issue like this?
This federal character/quota system is due for scrapping.

My fingers are crossed with sceptism. You are totally right the Federal Character Principle should be scrapped from our constitution. Apart from the obvious fact that it promotes mediocrity, the question remains what is the character of Nigeria? The same constitution that wants Federal Character only recognises three languages (Ibo, Yoruba and Hausa). What a contradiction!

Let wait and see.

sbo:

My fingers are crossed with sceptism. You are totally right the Federal Character Principle should be scrapped from our constitution. Apart from the obvious fact that it promotes mediocrity, the question remains what is the character of Nigeria? The same constitution that wants Federal Character only recognises three languages (Ibo, Yoruba and Hausa). What a contradiction!

Let wait and see.

I get your point now.
What a sad situation we've been in for a long time, especially for other nigerians that dont have their languages recognized.

The Federal Character Principle has constituted in no small way to the country's economic limbo and it's high time the government shelved it aside.
But as I always say,
This Is Nigeria where our gluttonic leaders say one thing and mean another.