Senate Warns That Federal Character Agency FCC Can Stop Budgets Of Govt Offices That Violate Principle
The Senate has affirmed the statutory powers of the Federal Character Commission (FCC) to enforce compliance with the Federal Character Principle across all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), while also throwing its weight behind the commission’s demand for adequate funding to carry out its constitutional mandate effectively.
The resolution followed a motion sponsored by Senator Diket Plang (APC, Plateau Central) during plenary on Thursday, June 4, 2026, titled “Urgent Need to Restore the Statutory Powers and Financial Autonomy of the Federal Character Commission for Effective Enforcement of the Federal Character Principle.”
Senator Plang expressed concern that despite clear provisions of the 1999 Constitution and the Federal Character Commission Act, certain MDAs and critical sectors of the economy continued to brazenly violate the Federal Character Principle in employment, recruitment, and appointment processes.
The Senator cited examples of recruitment exercises where some states and geopolitical zones were grossly underrepresented, leading to disaffection and a sense of marginalisation among qualified citizens from affected regions.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, while contributing to the debate, noted that the Federal Character Commission served as a tool for national unity and integration and warned that its continued neglect could fuel regional agitations and undermine national cohesion.
The Senate noted that the FCC is currently underfunded and understaffed, making it difficult for the commission to monitor compliance across hundreds of MDAs and report violators for sanctions.
The upper legislative chamber called on the Federal Government to provide the commission with adequate budgetary allocation and operational resources, including vehicles, office equipment, and technology infrastructure for data collection and tracking of recruitment across MDAs.
The Senate also affirmed that the FCC retained the statutory power to recommend sanctions, including the withholding of budgetary allocations, against any MDA found to be in flagrant violation of the Federal Character Principle.
The resolution directed its Committees on Federal Character and Intergovernmental Affairs to conduct an oversight hearing with the leadership of the FCC, the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), and the Ministry of Finance to explore mechanisms for strengthening enforcement and ensuring financial independence for the commission.
The Senate also called on the FCC to publish quarterly compliance reports on its website, detailing which MDAs were adhering to the Federal Character Principle and those found to be in violation.
The FCC has, in previous years, raised concerns over its inability to sanction non-compliant agencies, with some heads of MDAs ignoring its recommendations or circumventing the commission’s oversight by outsourcing recruitment to consultants and third-party agencies.
