Appointments: Edo Assembly Tasks LGSC On Federal Character

The Edo State House of Assembly, has directed the Local Government Service Commission to reflect federal character and geographical spread in all its appointments.

The directive is contained in a resolution passed by the House on Monday in Benin to correct imbalances noticeable in the current appointments.

The directive followed a petition entitled: “Imbalances in the Appointment of Directors of Administration and General Services and Heads of Local Government Administration in the unified Local Government Service”.

The Chairman of the House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr Patrick Osayimwen, said the principle of federal character would allow for equity in the distribution of positions.

“Since the principle of federal character is entrenched in the Constitution of Nigeria, it will be wise to also introduce it in the appointments of key officers in the commission,” he said.

In their respective contributions Mr Philp Shaibu and Johnson Oghuma, said that applying the principle of federal character would help in cementing the bond of kinship in Edo.

The lawmakers noted that the essence of the federal character was to protect the interest of the minority and allow for equitable distribution of positions.

They recalled that in the past, three heads of service had come from one local government, which they said was capable of bringing discontent among the people.

In his own submission, Mr Folly Ogedengbe, argued that people would be dislodged from their positions if the principles of federal character and geographical spread was introduced now.

He said that those already occupying the positions should be allowed to remain and that the principle should be applied at the point of entry into the service.

Ogedengbe said, “The issues of federal character as it affects the civil servant should start at the point of entry.

“Not when people have worked to attain their current positions, you now bring junior officers to head them because of federal character.  “It is unacceptable because definitely some persons will be dislodged in the whole process.”

In his remarks, the Speaker of the House, Mr Uyigue Igbe, said “the recommendation of the committee only seeks to redeploy affected officers to other positions and will not dislodge anybody’’.

The committee also recommended that key positions such as heads of Local Government Administration and General Services be made to reflect the federal character and geographical spread.

The House unanimously adopted the committee’s recommendations.