Coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CCSOs) has appealed to President Mohammadu Buhari to appoint a southern candidate as a substatntive Secretary of Federal Character Commission(FCC).
The Coalition at a press conference on Friday in Osogbo, said it would be a thing of joy, if the President could appoint a southern candidate to succeed the outgoing FCC sectetary, Alhaji Muhammed Bello, whose tenure ends next week.
Mr Oluwole Oladapo, the Convener of Values of Unlimited Restorative Justice, who addressed the press on behalf of CSOs, said since the creation of the commission in 1996, the tradition had always been the Chairman from the North and Secretary from the South, respectively.
Oladapo said the Coalition believed that the president would prove his commitment to equity, fairness and justice for all in Nigeria in the appointment of a southern candidate as the Secretary of the commission.
He said: “The Federal Character Commission, according to Section 153(1) of the 1999 Constitution as amended is meant to be the custodian of the principle of federal character and is mandated to ensure compliance with this principle by all federal agencies, departments and parastatals in Nigeria.
“Hence, charity should ordinarily begin from the home of the commission by respecting the provision of the law and appoint its Secretary from the Southern part of Nigeria”.
Also speaking, Mr Ayo Ologun, the Convener of Oodua Youth Initiative, said appointing a southern candidate as Secretary of the commission would promote unity and principle of fairness in the country.
Ologun appeal to President to use his good office to see to it that a southern candidate is appointed as a substantive secretary of the commission.(NAN)
