[dropcap]I[/dropcap]f federal appointments are done purely on merits, there would be no agitations about it. Look at this list of these people that are from the South East/South South that have served or picked to serve in some capacity before:
Festus Odimegwu, First Class
Chukwuma Soludo, First Class
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, First Class
Ogbonnaya Onu, First Class
Kachikwu Ibe, First Class
Godwin Emefiele, First Class
Arunmah Oteh, First Class
I am wondering if anyone that would be appointed from the South East must have a First Class while people from Northern other Geo-Political Region just had to fill up a quota? Why do we have a different standard when an Igbo man or person from South South/South West is involved? That’s by the way.
But the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria should be amended to remove Federal Character and Quota System therefrom. But as long as the Federal Character is still in our Constitution, every interest and every section of the country must be represented.
A president cannot pick and choose what part of the constitution to toy with, and which part to abide by. Make merit the watchword, and I would have absolutely no problems with it. But choose people based on clannish considerations, then, the root of the union is being struck at intentionally or unintentionally to make a statement about “winner takes all”.
Again, it is the same pattern in admission to Unity School. Why must my child (from Anambra) score 130 to be admitted while someone from Jigawa or Adamawa only needs to show up to be admitted? When you point out the anomalies, some ignorant ones would start blowing the “tribalist” whistle against you, just to make himself look good among his friends as “detribalized Nigerian”.
Being politically correct in Nigeria is another name for being a hypocrite! I hate hypocrites like I hate plagues! When you see the truth and do “eyes-right” just to be seen as a “good Nigerian”, then you have not done anything to better Nigeria. You are only queuing along hoping for a crumb from the master’s table.
You are in a wrong place if you are on my wall because you are not welcome here!
Chukwudi Nwokoye is a lawyer (LL.M.) and a former United States Marine who hails from Anambra State of Nigeria. He is on Facebook and can be emailed at [email protected].
The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.
