President warns against sectional interests, calls for fairness in appointments, administration and resource distribution at grassroots.
President Bola Tinubu has charged local government chairmen across Nigeria to rise above sectional interests and promote fairness, equity and inclusiveness in appointments, administration and resource distribution at the grassroots.
President Tinubu gave the charge on Monday in Abuja while delivering a keynote address at a workshop organised by the Federal Character Commission (FCC) for local government chairmen. The address was delivered on his behalf by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume.
The workshop, themed “Translating Federal Character Principles into Local Governance: Bridging Policy and Practice,” was organised to strengthen the implementation of the Federal Character principle at the local government level.
The President described Nigeria’s diversity as one of the country’s greatest assets, stressing that its ethnic, cultural and religious diversity must be managed through fairness, justice and inclusiveness.
He said the Federal Character principle, enshrined in Section 14(4) of the 1999 Constitution, provides an institutional and moral framework for ensuring that Nigeria’s diversity is reflected in government at all levels.
Tinubu noted that local governments occupy a strategic position because they are the closest tier of government to citizens and have a direct impact on their daily lives.
He therefore urged council chairmen to ensure that their communities were fairly represented in appointments and administration, while opportunities and resources were distributed equitably.
The President warned the chairmen against allowing ethnic, religious, political or other sectional interests to override the broader interests of their communities and the nation.
He said inclusive governance would strengthen citizens’ confidence in government, promote social cohesion, reduce conflicts and create an environment conducive to economic growth and development.
Tinubu, however, stressed that laws and constitutional provisions alone could not guarantee inclusive governance without ethical leadership and commitment from public officials.
He commended the Federal Character Commission for extending its focus to the third tier of government and urged participants to translate the lessons from the workshop into practical actions in their respective councils.
The President said the future of Nigeria’s democracy would depend significantly on the strength, fairness and inclusiveness of local institutions before formally declaring the workshop open.