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Federal Government Reaffirms Commitment to Federal Character Principle
The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to fairness, equity and national cohesion, charging newly inaugurated members of the fifth Board of the Federal Character Commission (FCC) to strengthen enforcement of constitutional provisions guiding inclusive governance.
Speaking at the opening of a two-day induction and sensitisation workshop held at Stratton Hotel, Abuja, on Tuesday, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, described the gathering as a strategic national engagement aimed at repositioning the Commission as a proactive and results-driven institution.
Represented by his Technical Adviser, Professor Babatunde Bernard, Akume urged the Commission to adopt a more assertive regulatory posture.
“The Commission must move beyond routine compliance toward a more assertive regulatory framework that ensures fairness, accountability and inclusive governance across all Ministries, Departments and Agencies. Nigerians expect a Commission that is principled, independent and professional. The Federal Character Principle must neither be politicised nor diluted,” he said.
Also speaking at the event, the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, who represented President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, described the FCC as a strategic pillar within Nigeria’s governance architecture.
Gbajabiamila reminded commissioners that their mandate goes beyond overseeing political appointments to ensuring equitable distribution of national opportunities and development initiatives.
“Federal Character must never become a mere arithmetic exercise. Representation and merit must strengthen one another rather than compete. You are the custodians of one of the most delicate compacts holding our nation together. When fairness is upheld, Nigeria feels united; when it is ignored, the country feels fragile,” he said.
Chairman of the House Committee on Federal Character, Ahmed Idris Wase, emphasised collaboration between the legislature and the Commission to guarantee balanced representation across the federation.
“The Federal Character Commission must remain a guardian of fairness and inclusion. Balanced representation builds trust and reinforces democratic stability. Inclusion and competence must work together,” Wase stated.
Representing the Head of Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Esther Walson-Jack, Permanent Secretary, Service Policies and Strategies Office, Dr Ishiyaku Mohammed, stressed disciplined and efficient human resource management in the public service.
“Federal Character is not only about representation; it is about ensuring that appointments and placements are strategic, merit-driven and aligned with national priorities,” he noted.
In her welcome address, Executive Chairman of the Commission, Hulayat Motunrayo Omidiran, described the induction programme as a defining moment in the institution’s evolution.
“The Federal Character Principle is not a political slogan; it is a stabilising framework that promotes fairness, inclusion and national cohesion. It will not be business as usual. We are committed to ethical conduct, accountability and lawful enforcement of our mandate,” Omidiran affirmed.
The workshop, themed “Guiding the Effective Implementation and Enforcement of the Federal Character Principle,” features sessions led by policy experts focusing on leadership, monitoring frameworks, data-driven compliance and collaborative governance.
The opening session was attended by the Commission’s Secretary, Honourable Commissioners and Directors, as the Federal Government signalled renewed determination to strengthen inclusive governance across the country.
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With the death of Pope Francis, the first to have come from Latin America, the names of possible successors are flying about.
Reuters has listed some cardinals who are being talked about as “papabili” to succeed Pope Francis, whose death at the age of 88 was announced by the Vatican on Monday. Among the list of nine is Ghana’s Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, a Vatican official, aged 76.
From humble beginnings in a small African town, Cardinal Peter Turkson has gone on to great things in the Church, making him a contender to become the first pope from sub-Saharan Africa.
He combines a long pastoral background of tending to congregations in Ghana with hands-on experience of leading several Vatican offices, as well as strong communication skills.
The fact that he comes from one of the most dynamic regions for the Church, which is struggling against the forces of secularism in its European heartlands, should also bolster his standing.
The fourth son in a family of 10 children, Turkson was born in Wassaw Nsuta, in what was then called the Gold Coast in the British Empire. His father worked in a nearby mine and doubled as a carpenter, while his mother sold vegetables in the market.
He studied at seminaries in Ghana and New York, was ordained in 1975, and then taught in his former Ghanaian seminary and did advanced Biblical studies in Rome.
Pope John Paul II appointed him archbishop of Cape Coast in 1992 and, 11 years later, made him the first cardinal in the history of the West African state.
Promotions continued under John Paul’s successor, Benedict, who brought him to the Vatican in 2009 and made him the head of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace — the body that promotes social justice, human rights and world peace.
In that role, he was one of the pope’s closest advisors on issues such as climate change and drew much attention by attending conferences such as the Davos Economic Forum.
Francis merged Turkson’s department in 2016 with three other offices, leading to what some saw as a power struggle between him and another cardinal.
Turkson resigned from that role in 2021 and was appointed to head two pontifical academies on sciences and social sciences.
In 2023, he told the BBC he prayed “against” the possibility that he would be elected pope, but some of his detractors said that, given his media appearances, it appeared he was campaigning for the job.
Other possible successors to the late Pope Francis are Jean-Marc Aveline, archbishop of Marseille, French, aged 66; Cardinal Peter Erdo, Hungarian, aged 72; Cardinal Mario Grech, secretary general of the Synod of Bishops, Maltese, aged 68; Cardinal Juan Jose Omella, archbishop of Barcelona, Spanish, aged 79; Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Italian, Vatican diplomat, aged 70 and Cardinal Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle, Filipino, aged 67.
Others are Cardinal Joseph Tobin, archbishop of Newark, N.J., American, aged 72 and Matteo Maria Zuppi, Italian, archbishop of Bologna, aged 69.
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It is already given and merely awaiting to be stamped. Nigeria will win the two top positions of the men’s singles event of the 13th African Games’ badminton.
Thanks to the great efforts of Anuoluwapo Opeyori who defied the stiff opposition by Egypt’s Ahdam Abdelhalim to win a tough semi-final match by 2-1.
It is not the first time that Opeyori will overcome the Egyptian in the same fashion of coming from a game behind.
He did it in 2020 at the third place match of the African Championship at the Cairo Stadium Hall 2.
By his current performance, Opeyori has set up a final match with his compatriot and usual doubles partner, Godwin Olofua in the final match later in the day.
What a dramatic event! The match-up is a repeat of the All African championship held in Port Harcourt in 2019 when the duo played the final match.
For Olofua who is Qatar based, this is an opportunity for him to revenge his loss to Opeyori. Both players are well known to one another.
No matter the result, Nigeria will be the winner.
Olofua is in the title match after overcoming compatriot, Victor Ikechukwu in an all-Nigeria semi-final contest.
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Messi To Feature Against Nigeria For The Seventh Time As Argentina Confirms Match Date With Super Eagles –
BY KUNLE SOLAJA
Argentina Football Association has confirmed that the Lionel Messi inspired World Cup winning team will face the Super Eagles of Nigeria at the Coliseum in Los Angeles on March 26.
The match will come up four days after Argentina would have played against El Salvador at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
Sports Village Square recalls that this will be the seventh time that the legendary Lionel Messi will feature in a football match with Nigeria after the U20 World Cup tie in 2005, Beijing 2008 gold medal match, a friendly match in World Cup matches in 2010, 2014 and 2018 as well as a friendly match in Dhaka in September 2011.
The two matches were originally to hold in China but were moved out as the Chinese sporting authorities reportedly cancelled friendly matches featuring the World Cup champions amid a backlash against Lionel Messi’s failure to play in an Inter Miami match in Hong Kong.
Argentina were scheduled to play Nigeria in the Chinese city of Hangzhou before facing the Cote d’Ivoire in Beijing but Messi’s failure to take the field for Inter Miami in Hong Kong against a local League XI earlier this month caused widespread anger among fans.
Messi was deemed unfit to play in the friendly, which drew 40,000 fans and saw some spectators paying up to nearly HK$5,000 ($640) for a ticket.
Chinese state media, Hong Kong politicians and fans reacted angrily three days later when the 36-year-old Argentine forward came off the bench to play in a friendly match in Tokyo against Vissel Kobe, Japan.
In a video posted on Weibo, one of China’s largest social media platforms, on Monday, eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi said his absence from the match had been caused by an inflamed adductor.
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