From Kayode Lawal, AbujaThe Kwara State leadership of the People’s Democratic Party has been tipped to nominate a replacement for Chairman of the Federal Character Commission (FCC), Professor Shuaib Oba AbdulRaheem, who lost the job on Wednesday after the Federal Government dissolved the board of the commission.According to sources in Abuja yesterday, the state PDP hierarchy would be expected to submit its nomineeto President Goodluck Jonathan when he returns from his trip to China, who subject to his approval would forward the nomination to the Senate for confirmation.It is not clear what chances Prof Oba has of reclaiming the job in the light of an earlier unconfirmed report that the state PDP had nominated a former senator from Kwara North for the same slot that had given Oba the appointment.Prof. Oba, a former two-term Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, was appointed Chairman of the FCC in 2008 following his nomination for federal board appointment by the Kwara State leaders of the PDP.But the Federal Government dissolved the board of the commission following the expiration of its five- year tenure.Announcing the dissolution of the board on Wednesday, government thanked the commissioners for their selfless service to the government and their fatherland.The dissolution, which caught most of the workers unaware, was the subject of discussion at the Commission’s headquarters in Maitama District, Abuja yesterday when The Herald visited there.The Head of Protocol and Public Relations, Comrade (Dr.) Fred Chuks Okoli, confirmed to The Herald in his office yesterday that Professor AbdulRaheem and his colleagues in the Commission have been asked to go.He said the former Chairman and his Commissioners were asked to leave on Wednesday because their 5-year term of office had expired.However, the hope of the former Chairman incoming back to the seat would be determined by the Kwara State government expected to make its nomination any moment along with other states.The Herald gathered at the FCC headquarters that unlike other ex-commissioners, the name of Prof Oba has not been forwarded to security agents for re-screening and for possible ratification by the Senate.President Jonathan, who is now in China on a state visit is expected to forward the list of new nominees from the States to the securityagents and the Senate on his arrival from theforeign trip.Professor Oba had in the run up to the last elections resigned his chairman’s position in the FCC to run for the governorship ticket of the PDP for Kwara State.He returned to the commission after failing in the party primaries, a development that pitted pitted some lawyers and stakeholders against the Federal Government.The lawyers led by human rights activist andsocial crusader, Mr. Festus Keyamo, had faulted the reabsorption of the Chairman intothe FCC board after he voluntarily resigned from the seat.In the heat of the development, Mr. Keyamo issued an ultimatum to President Jonathan to sack the Chairman or in the alternative send him to the Senate for fresh confirmation.Following the expiration of the ultimatum, Mr. Keyamo instituted legal action against the Federal Government.In the legal action, Keyamo asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to compel President Jonathan to remove the ex-Chairman or follow the stipulated conditions to return him as Chairman.Meanwhile the struggle to fill the vacant board appointments have commenced in fullblast among the politicians and appointment seekers wishing to be nominated by their state governors.At the time of this report, Anambra, Enugu and Plateau states had forwarded the namesof their nominees to the Presidency while those of Edo and Kwara states are being awaited.
Posted on: Sat, 19 Jul 2014 14:41:40 +0000
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