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By Joel Anekwe
The Rivers State office of the Federal Character Commission on Thursday declared its desire to collaborate with the state government to achieve success in equitable distribution of appointment, employments, and socio-economic amenities in the country.
Hon. Wokocha Onyekachi, commissioner representing Rivers State in the Federal Character Commission disclosed this during an interaction with journalists in Port Harcourt.
Onyekachi said that the commission inaugurated by President Muhammadu Buhari on July, 2, was set up to ensure equitable distribution on appointment, employment and socio-economic amenities in the country so that no one section of the country will dominate any agency or government and no one section of the country excessively favoured over others.
The commissioner urged the Rivers State Government to prevail on ministries, departments and agencies (MDAS) including local government councils in the state to promptly submit their nominal rolls to enable the commission perform its duties in the state.
He stated that the state government should compel MDAs/ local government councils to comply with the Federal Character principles of fair and equitable distribution of post.
“The MDAs should be mandated to ensure that each local government area records a minimum of 3 percent and not more than 5 percent representation in their staff representation.
“The state government should assist the commission to organize seminars and workshops on Federal Character principles, its application and preparation of staff returns for officers of grade level 12 and above.
“State government should also release information on socio-economic amenities, infrastructural facilities data base in the state in pursuance of the federal Character commission’s second mandate of ensuring fair and equitable distribution.
“State government to regulate the issuance of local government identification certificates to persons and also provide land for federal character commission, rivers state office in Port Harcourt,” he stated.
Onyekachi mentioned some of the commission’s challenges as the idea of certain persons thinking that Federal Character Commission is a witch hunt commission to undermine their authority which hinders their ability to collaborate and release information or listen to the advice given by the commission.
“Another challenge is the tendency where people come into government to see that as an opportunity to liberate their section of the country, state or local government area, it takes great statesmen to look at the whole country, the states or entire local government as their constituency depending on where their sphere of authority,” the commissioner said.
Onyekachi stated that the commission is ready to roll in discharging its mandate to the people of Rivers State and Nigeria.
