By Grace Abe
The Federal Character Commission (FCC) has tasked 774 Local Government chairmen on equitable distribution of opportunities to promote national unity.
The Executive Chairman of the Commission, Mrs Hulayat Omidiran, gave the charge on Monday in Abuja at a two-day workshop organised in conjunction with the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF).
The workshop was themed: “Deepening National Unity through Grassroots Implementation of the Federal Character Principle at the Grassroots.”
Omidiran said the Federal Character Principle was established to ensure balanced representation, fairness and inclusiveness in public institutions and governance processes.
She said achieving fairness required Local Governments to embrace equitable distribution of opportunities, fair representation and inclusive leadership.
According to her, Local Governments are the closest arm of government to the people and the primary channel for delivering democratic dividends to communities.
She said effective governance at the national level was often determined by the strength, stability and responsiveness of Local Government administration.
“Local Governments play a crucial role in promoting unity and managing diversity within communities,” she said.
Omidiran said the councils were uniquely positioned to foster peaceful coexistence among people of different ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds.
She urged chairmen to ensure fairness, transparency, tolerance and justice in governance, stressing that every citizen must feel recognised and included.
The FCC boss acknowledged the administration of President Bola Tinubu’s efforts to strengthen Local Government autonomy, describing it as a significant step towards deepening democracy.
She said autonomy was aimed at improving service delivery, accountability, community development and efficiency in Local Government administration.
Earlier, PGF Director-General, Mr Folorunsho Aluko, said Local Government was where citizens encountered government most directly through healthcare, roads, sanitation and support for vulnerable citizens.
Aluko said greater autonomy must come with responsibility, including transparent budgeting, prudent financial management, merit-based appointments, procurement integrity, audit compliance and citizen engagement.
He said federal character should not be reduced to the arithmetic of representation, but should promote justice, inclusion, belonging and national cohesion.
Also speaking, Director-General, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mr Lanre Isa-Onilu, said federal character was central to ensuring that every Nigerian felt Nigeria belonged to all.
Isa-Onilu said the 774 Local Government Areas must become centres of national cohesion where citizens experienced equity, inclusion and responsible governance in practical terms.(NAN)
Edited by Rotimi Ijikanmi