RE: Exclusion of South East in recent Supreme Court Justices and nomination of Laurette Onochie as INEC Commissioner
According to my research, the Federal Character Commission (FCC) is a Federal Executive body established by Act No 34 of 1996 to implement and enforce the Federal Character Principle of fairness and equity in the distribution of public posts and socio-economic infrastructures among the various federating units of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The provisions of the 1999 Constitution in Sections 14 and 153 consolidated the establishment of the FCC for operation in a democratic system of Government.
One of the Federal Character Commission duty is to work out an equitable formula, subject to the approval of the President, for the distribution of all cadres of posts in the civil and public service of the Federation and of the State, the armed forces, the Nigerian Police Force and other security agencies, bodies corporate owned by the federal or a State Government and Extra-Ministerial Departments and parastatals of the Federation and States.
FCC MISSION
Chanelling public investments towards sustainable development.
FCC VISION
Achieving sustainable national consciouness to which all Citizens can subscribe with conviction.
Mr. President, I took time to remind you of the above, simply because from all indications, also putting your body language into consideration, with due respect, you obviously do not understand what the Commission entails.
Since you assumed office as the ‘primus inter pares’ of this great country, you have without mincing words, clearly violated the Constitution, something you took an oath to protect.
The submission of the names of some Justices of the Supreme Court for ratification and approval by the Senate and conspicuously neglecting the South East, is an affront. May I remind you that in 2015, you bluntly told not just Nigerians but the entire world that you do not belong to anybody but belong to everybody. You just succeeded in hoodwinking us and that is not leadership.
The sole reason why I am saying this is for you to understand that this is the architect of the agitations we have in the South East.
Mr. President, you are making the South Easterners think and believe they are not part of this nation and should look elsewhere. It is worthy to note that the Attorney General of highly developed country like Canada, is an Imo State citizen and as such, competency and credibility lives with us.
I humbly urge you to have a rethink and carry everyone, especially the South East, along, as you should be the President of all.
Unfortunately, while I was battling with the lopesided list of Justices of the Supreme Court, you stroke not just me but the entire nation with the nomination of your former Aide as a Federal Commissioner in the ‘supposed’ prestigious Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC).
Mr. President, It is a crystal fact of law that Item F, Paragraph 14 of the third Schedule of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) clearly forbids a card-carrying member of a political party to be a member of INEC.
Aside being a card-carrying member of your political party, the manner at which she discharged her duties then, can be best described as irresponsible. No doubt, she remains the ‘Sycophant-In-Chief’ of your administration. Such persons should not have a place near you if you truly mean business of governance.
Mr. President, her nomination is against the Constitution of the country and you should know better. I also humbly urge you to withdraw her nomination as she is not qualified for such sensitive job as INEC Commissioner.
Making Nigeria great again, which was why Nigerians brought you into power, though a herculean task, can be made easy if you follow tenaciously the laws of the land.
God bless Nigeria.Yours in the development of Nigeria,
Being an open letter written by Kenkwo, Kesaandu Kingsley (KKK)
Ihitte/Uboma L.G.A., Imo State, South East Nigeria
kenkwokesaandu@gmail.com
