FCC frowns as CEOs of tertiary institutions shun meeting

Federal Character Commission (FCC), expressed its disappointment with the absence of the Chief Executives of supervisory bodies from federal tertiary institutions during a meeting with the commission.

The purpose of the meeting was to familiarize the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), and National Universities Commission (NUC) with the principles of the FCC for recruitment purposes,

While representatives from NUC and NBTE were present, NCCE was completely absent from the meeting.

Executive Chairman of FCC, Dr. Muheeba Farida Dankaka, stated this in Abuja, after suspending the meeting, urged the board of Federal Tertiary Institutions to adhere to the principles of federal character in their recruitment processes.

The FCC emphasized that every citizen should be treated equally, regardless of their ethnicity, and that the Constitution ensures a sense of belonging for all.

The commission sent a strong warning, urging the board of Federal Tertiary Institutions to apply principles of federal character in their recruitment for equity, fairness, and justice, said that the constitution ensures that every citizen has a sense of belonging in the nation.

Dankaka, who was represented by the National Commissioner representing Kwara State, Hon. James Jiya John Kolo, said: stressed the importance of educating and sensitizing the Chief Executives of these institutions so that they understand and comply with the principles of the FCC.

He said: “We are trying to sensitize him on the need to adhere to the principles of federal character commission based on the recent circular that gives them waivers from certain institutional authorities so that they should not under look the constitutional essence of the federal character commission that remains standing.

“So, our duty is to sensitize and educate the chief executives so that they can comply with the principles of federal character commission.”

The FCC expressed concern over the observation that some Federal Tertiary Institutions have been engaging in staff recruitment without consulting the FCC, which is responsible for ensuring equity, fairness, and justice in such exercises.

FCC boss added, “The law permits the federal character commission to meet with the chief executives who are the implementers of the mandates of their organizations. So we deal with the chief executives, who implement the mandates of the organization,

“When you are sending somebody in proxy and does not have capacity for what we are going to discuss, he will go back and when he tells the chief executive he will never take it because he was not there to understand the nitty gritty of what we are talking about.

“So that’s why we want to deal with the chief executive so that it will be well understood. We are here for interaction. They are free to ask questions, so that it will be well understood. They will go home with full knowledge of what is supposed to be done. But somebody comes to represent, he goes back and tells another person, here’s what happened, they may not even take it seriously.

“We are going to recall them back where the chief executives most attend, so that they can have this interaction. So that we can have a great nation. We are working for a nation that shall be deprived of us and the future generation and it cannot be done. If character principle is not well implemented in every sector of our economy.”