The Senate has accused the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), National Pension Commission (PENCOM), Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) and some Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the Federal Government of allegedly violating the Federal Character Principle in their appointments, promotions and recruitment.
The Red Chamber directed its Committee on Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs to investigate alleged cases of imbalance in recruitment, appointment and promotion in the public service.
The resolution of the Senate followed its consideration of a motion titled: “Urgent need to address systemic abuse and ineffective implementation of the Federal Character Principle in Nigeria’s Public Sector,” sponsored by
Senator Osita Ngwu during plenary.
Senator Ngwu in his lead debate, noted that Sections 14(3) and 14(4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) explicitly prohibit the dominance of individuals from a few states or ethnic groups in federal institutions.
He lamented that while recruitment opportunities remain limited, promotions are often based solely on years of service rather than merit, leading to the continued marginalisation of certain regions.
According to him, the lack of accountability in enforcing federal character principles has compromised fairness in the public sector, with senior-level recruitment frequently influenced by favoritism instead of competence.
Ngwu further noted that while the principle aims to balance merit with equitable state representation, its poor implementation has negatively affected discipline, morale, and institutional efficiency.
“The Federal Character Principle, entrenched in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), mandates fair representation in federal appointments to reflect the linguistic, ethnic, religious, and geographic diversity of the nation.
“Section 14(3) & (4) of the Constitution unequivocally stipulate that ‘no predominance of persons from a few states or from a few ethnic or sectional groups’ should exist within the federal government or its agencies,” he said.
According to him, some MDAs that have allegedly failed to comply with the federal character principle, include the NNPCL and its subsidiary, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), PENCOM, NDIC, the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA), the National Library of Nigeria (NLN), the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN), the Solid Minerals Development Fund (SMDF), and the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA).
He said the Senate, “Regrets that against the spirit of Order 96(27)(b) of the Senate Standing Orders 2023 (as amended) and Sections 62, 88, 89, 14(3)-(4) and the Third Schedule Part I C8(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) which bestowed on its Committee on Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs the power of legislative oversight in matters connected to the implementation and monitoring of the policy, it is deemed that various federal institutions including NNPCL and its subsidiary, NUPRC, NAFDAC, NPA, PENCOM, NDIC, FUTA, NLN, SMEDAN, ECN, SMDF, NNRA have consistently failed to adhere to federal character mandates, often bypassing regulations in their recruitment exercise (evidences abound).”
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He alleged that these institutions “have consistently failed to adhere to federal character mandates, often bypassing regulations in their recruitment exercises (evidences abound).”
Ngwu warned that unchecked violations of the federal character principle would continue to erode the effectiveness of key legislative provisions, including Section 14(d) & (e) of the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act, 2017, Part I(1)-(2) of the Subsidiary Legislation 23 of 1997, and Section 11(2) of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011.
He also raised concerns about the Federal Character Commission (FCC), arguing that despite its constitutional mandate, it remains weakened by underfunding, political interference, and a lack of enforcement power.
In its resolution, the Senate mandated its Committee on Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs to conduct investigative hearings on all MDAs to assess their compliance with federal character provisions and to report back in four weeks.
