A civil society group, the Societal Safety Network (SSN), has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ensure equity and fairness in federal appointments, stressing that regional balance is vital for national unity.

The group, in a statement signed by Suleiman Salaudeen, commended the President for correcting the recent appointment of the Managing Director/CEO of the National Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (N-HYPPADEC), which had initially breached Section 93 of the Electricity Act 2023.

The revision, SSN said, reinforced public confidence that the administration is guided by equity, justice, and the rule of law.

The organisation also welcomed the North-South balance in recent anti-corruption appointments, citing Mr Ola Olukoyede from the South as Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Dr Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, from the North as Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

“This is the leadership wisdom Nigerians expect: decisions that unite, not divide; appointments that reflect inclusion, not exclusion,” the group stated.

However, SSN urged the President to apply the same principle to the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC) and the Federal Character Commission (FCC).

It noted that while the FCSC is chaired by Professor Tunji Olaopa from the South West, with Mrs Didi Esther Walson-Jack, also from the South, as Secretary, fairness demands that the FCC chairmanship remain in the North.

“Given that the FCSC is already headed by a Southerner, fairness demands that the FCC chairmanship be retained in the North. This balance is vital to maintain public trust,” the statement stressed.

The group warned that tilting the FCC leadership disproportionately towards one region could weaken the credibility of the federal character principle and fuel perceptions of marginalisation.

“The FCC is more than an administrative agency; it is a constitutional safeguard for national unity. If its leadership tilts disproportionately towards one region, it risks undermining the President’s political goodwill in areas that feel excluded,” the SSN cautioned.

Expressing optimism, the group said that by sustaining equity in appointments, President Tinubu would strengthen his governance agenda and further solidify his legacy as a leader who restored trust in the Nigerian union.

It added that the North Central region and the wider North remain committed to supporting the administration, urging the President to always prioritise fairness and inclusion in his decisions. (Sunday Vanguard)