By Joy Odor Reportcircle News
Lawmakers have sounded the alarm over what they described as a dangerous weakening of Nigeria’s unity safeguards after discovering the nation’s fairness watchdog is struggling to function under crippling funding shortages.
The drama unfolded during a tense budget defence session at the National Assembly where the leadership of the Federal Character Commission appeared before the House Committee on Federal Character.
At the centre of the storm was the Commission’s Executive Chairman, Hulayat Motunrayo Omidiran, who admitted the agency charged with balancing representation across the federation is battling near-operational paralysis.
Omidiran told lawmakers the Commission cannot effectively monitor ministries, departments and agencies nationwide due to inadequate funding.
Key statutory duties affected include:
compliance monitoring across MDAs
nationwide audits
enforcement of recruitment balance
investigation of violations
Despite the constraints, she insisted the leadership remains determined to enforce constitutional equity.
“We are focused and determined to carry out the responsibility entrusted to us,” she said, promising greater engagement with government institutions to secure operational support.
Chairman of the committee, Ahmed Idris Wase, reacted sharply, warning that underfunding the Commission undermines national cohesion.
He noted that expecting the body to enforce fairness while starving it of resources amounts to weakening one of the country’s stability mechanisms.
“We cannot demand compliance across government when the enforcing institution lacks capacity,” he declared.
Wase assured the Commission the House would push for stronger financial backing, insisting token allocations must end.
Legislators warned that failure to properly fund the agency could deepen distrust in public sector recruitment and fuel perceptions of exclusion across regions.
They stressed that the federal character principle remains one of Nigeria’s key constitutional balancing tools designed to prevent marginalisation and preserve unity.
The session ended with both sides agreeing to work together to improve budget provisions and strengthen enforcement capacity.
For lawmakers, the message was blunt:
An institution created to guarantee fairness cannot itself be treated unfairly.
