Nnenna Ibeh Philip Agbese, a public affairs commentator based in the
United Kingdom, has condemned the call for a reversal of the recent appointment
given to the registrar of the National Examination Council (NECO) Charles Uwakwe.
Agbese in this piece also condemned
protest carried out by some civil society organization against Uwakwe’s
appointment. He noted that what the protesters demanded was something should
have never been given contemplated let alone mentioned. The ink has barely
dried on Professor Charles Uwakwe’s appointment letter as the registrar of the
National Examination Council (NECO) when some persons decided to confirm the
fears that we are yet to surmount our ethno-religious pettiness.
That confirmation came not from the Minna,
which is the headquarters of NECO, but in Abuja where a ragtag group under the
aegis of Citizens Advocacy for Equity and Educational Development besieged the
ministry of education to demand the voiding of Professor Uwakwe’s appointment
as the council’s chief executive officer.
This demand would have automatically
had my sympathies if members of the group had marshaled compelling facts and
evidence on why the seasoned educationist is not worthy of performing the
important national assignment that President Muhammadu Buhari has entrusted to
him. Had the barely articulate spokesperson of the group come up with such one
would have been pressed to consider investigating the claims made. But they did
not accuse him of plagiarism or stealing research work.
They did not prove he engaged in
theft, conflict of interest or that he once abused the offices he once held in
any capacity. They could not even accuse him of that very cheap crime of being
a mole for the opposition. Instead, Uwakwe’s crime was being of southern
extraction. This was further aggravated for the protesters by the singular fact
that since the inception of NECO no northerner has ever held the position that
the university don is now occupying .
for them it is sacrilegious that
four southerners in a row would have successively pilot the affairs of the
examination body. This sacrilege became a mortal sin when they consider that
NECO is located in the north and a professor, who had lived most of his life in
the University of Ibadan, is now to call the shots there. I don’t know how
other Nigerians view the protest seeking Professor Uwakwe’s ouster even before
he had resumed but I cringe at the very thought that some people actually came
together to contemplate marshaling these sickening arguments
The first question I asked was: did these guys
read the criticisms all over the place about how President Buhari populated his
appointments with northerners and adherent of a particular faith? Are they
seriously suggesting that the concept of Federal Character should be jettisoned
simply because NECO is not located somewhere in Badagry or Aba?
One must also ask if these champions
of geo-zones oriented appointment are willing to protest to demand that any
northerner occupying a government position in Lagos, Porth Harcourt, Enugu,
Onitsha, Warri, Benin City, Ibadan, Abeokuta or any other southern state
immediately resign that position. That will be abominable and that is the
simple reason that there has never been any protest insisting that southerner
must be appointed to head agencies located in southern cities.
It seems these protesters, many of
whom weren’t born when Professor Uwakwe entered university, erroneously thought
the name NECO stands for “Northern Examination Council”. Even where this was
the case, it only goes to prove that some fellows saw their ignorance as a
ready tool to pursue some ridiculous agenda that has no bearing with where the
sane ones among us want the country to advance to.
The lot falls on this sane portion
of the population to protect NECO from these ethnic fanatics as the new
Executive Secretary cannot be left to his own resources to ward of distractions
like this. The north already enjoys exceptionally generous concessions in
education matters – catchment area, Educationally Less Disadvantaged States,
subventions and other incentives.
For an examination body to now be
led by ethnic sentiments would deliver nothing short of disaster. If they
insist on providing the chief executive officer of NECO today what will they
ask for next? Ask that every kid of school leaving age be issued a NECO
certificate without sitting for examinations? The long and short of it? The
ploy adopted in going after Professor Uwakwe’s job is outright ridiculous.
That this is the best line of arguments they
could come up is not only an indication of the deficit in their thinking but
also confirmed the reality that they do not possess the requisite competence
and capabilities that a vital national institution like NECO requires for
smooth operation.
If those gunning for Professor
Uwakwe’s job truly are interested in the job they should download a copy of his
CV that is available online to carry out a self-assessment and see if they
measure up to him.
While they are it, I suggest
Nigerians that have the interest of our children’s education at heart should
condemned those behind this plot as they do not mean well for the country.
People who came canvassing ethnic agenda at a time when the desired direction
is to change for the better should not be allowed to go away thinking their
demands are not offensive.
Some of us felt insulted by that
show of shame and we should not hide it. What the protesters demanded was
something should have never been given contemplated let alone mentioned. This
article expresses the authors’ opinion only. The views and opinions expressed
here do not necessarily represent those of EXPOZEME.com or its editors.
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