The Impunity of DSS’s Lopsided Recruitment
The passing-out parade of 479 cadet officers of the Department of State Security (DSS) in Lagos on March 5 witnessed muffle protest by many who were saddened by the fact that the recruitment showed no regard for the nation’s Federal Character law as ingrained in our Constitution. The lopsidedness in the composition of the new officers absorbed into the agency on this day was startling. For the avoidance of doubt, Section 14, subsection 3 of the 1999 Constitution states: “The composition of the Government of the Federation or any of its agencies and the conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such manner to reflect the federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote national unity, and also to command national loyalty thereby ensuring that there shall be no predominance of persons from a few states or from a few ethnic or sectional groups in that government or any of its agencies.”
But the Lawal Daura-led DSS disregarded this aspect of our constitution and skewed the recruitment in favour of some states. The difference in the number of slots allocated to each of the 36 states and Abuja is disturbing. Reports have it that 51 newly commissioned cadet officers emerged from Katsina State, while Akwa Ibom and Lagos have only 5 and 7 respectively. The aberration goes beyond the case of Katsina State. A further geo-political breakdown showed that North-west has 165 cadet officers, North-east 100, Northcentral 66, South-west 57, South-south 42 and South-east got 44. See the table below for details.
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria was apropos in calling for the nullification of this unconstitutional recruitment. HURIWA remarked: “This is a heartless violation of the constitutional principles of federal character and natural justice by officials of the DSS. This longstanding rape of the Nigerian Constitution would inevitably have significant negative impacts on the unity of this very highly fragile and fragmented nation-state known as Nigeria.
“Those who have constituted themselves as political demi-gods and are waging vicious campaign of total capture and occupation of all vital security institutions and other juicy economic positions must know that power is ephemeral and that they can’t subject and subjugate forever without the resistance of the rest of the Nigerian population to this enslavement and forceful occupation of national offices and key positions that by constitutional right belongs to each and every Nigerian citizen irrespective of ethno religious beliefs and orientations.”
I don’t know how Daura intends to justify this recruitment scandal. It is even more depressing that the DSS boss has so far refused to offer any explanation for this disrespect for our constitution since the indignity went viral on March 5. The Federal Character Commission has equally been silent on this aberration. I thought that by now, its acting chairman, Shettima Bukar-Abba would have taken appropriate action. The FCC has clearly failed in its responsibility of ensuring compliance with the federal character law in recruitment into federal ministries, departments and agencies.
This morning, I am calling on the Presidency to call Daura to order and redress this unevenness. The constitution is supreme. Those who have sworn to protect it must be seen to be doing so. The National Assembly should also dig in and conduct a forensic hearing on this violation of the Federal Character law with a view to ensuring equity, fairness and constitutionalism.
Abia 7, Adamawa 9, Akwa Ibom 5, Anambra 10, Bauchi 23, Bayelsa 7, Benue 9, Borno 16, Cross River 9, Delta 8, Ebonyi 7, Edo 6, Ekiti 12, Enugu 9, FCT 7, Gombe 14, Imo 11, Jigawa 14, Kaduna 24, Kano 25, Katsina 51, Kebbi 16, Kogi 11, Kwara 13, Lagos 7, Nasarawa 11, Niger 11, Ogun 8, Ondo 9, Osun 10, Oyo 11, Plateau 9, Rivers 7, Sokoto 15, Taraba 16, Yobe 12, Zamfara 20
I got so many calls last week on my piece on binge borrowing by our governments at all levels. Some, whose state debts were not indicated in the piece, are demanding for the publication of a comprehensive list. These people want to see what their state governors owe. The domestic debt profile of all the 36 states is published below for all to see. The foreign debt profile will follow next week. So, dear Nigerians, peruse the debt profile of your states and ask your governors critical questions.