•Femi Gbajabiamila
The Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has revealed that the government of the day was unhappy with him when he served as Speaker of the House of Representatives for refusing to approve a foreign infrastructure loan that excluded the South-East.
Although Gbajabiamila did not mention any names, he served as Speaker of the House of Representatives between 2019 and 2023, during the late former President Muhammadu Buhari’s second term in office, reports The PUNCH.
That period was marked by sustained public complaints and debates over the alleged marginalisation of the South-East region.
Speaking while addressing the newly inaugurated commissioners of the Federal Character Commission at a two-day induction programme in Abuja today, Gbajabiamila said the House, under his leadership, subjected the loan request to detailed scrutiny and discovered that the proposed infrastructure projects were spread across all geopolitical zones except the South-East.
According to him, lawmakers declined to approve the loan for several months and placed it in abeyance until the executive agreed to include the South-East in the project distribution.
He said, “I remember vividly as Speaker and the government had sought approval for a foreign infrastructural loan. The members of the House scrutinised the application with a fine-tooth comb and discovered the loan was specific and covered all zones except the Southeast.
“We refused to pass it for months and kept it in abeyance until we were able to extract the commitment of the government to include the south east in the loan infrastructural distribution.”
He explained that the decision was guided by the principles of federal character and fairness, noting that it would have been unjust for a region to be excluded from the benefits of a loan that would ultimately be repaid by the entire country, including that same region.
Gbajabiamila recalled that the government then was unhappy with him, adding that excluding one region when others are benefiting from a national loan creates the appearance of discrimination and undermines national cohesion.
“Even though the government of the day was not happy with me, I had a job to do to ensure that federal character was embedded in the application of the loan,” he said.
According to him, such situations underscore the critical role of the Federal Character Commission beyond political appointments, extending to the equitable distribution of infrastructural projects and social services.
He said the Commission has a quiet but important responsibility in budget scrutiny and in identifying imbalances early, stressing that the loan dispute could have been avoided if the FCC had flagged the inequity before the matter reached the National Assembly.
Gbajabiamila urged the commissioners to approach their duties with courage and a strong sense of national responsibility, reminding them that the FCC represents an internal layer of checks and balances within the executive arm of government.
“This assignment demands courage — the courage to say no when pressured and to defend the Constitution even when it is inconvenient,” he said.
He added that upholding fairness and inclusion through the federal character principle is essential to sustaining unity and public trust in the Nigerian state.
Speaking earlier, the Executive Chairman of the Federal Character Commission, Hulyat Omidiran, declared that the Commission will no longer operate on a “business as usual” basis.
She added that the commission would be guided strictly by its enabling laws, ethical conduct, and institutional discipline.
“Let me clearly state that under this Board, it will not be business as usual. We are fully committed to strict adherence to our enabling laws, institutional discipline, ethical conduct, and accountability.
“We shall discharge our responsibilities without fear or favour, we shall be guided by the rule of law, driven by national interest, and inspired by the collective goodwill of the Nigerian people,” she said.
According to her, the Federal Character Commission occupies a sensitive constitutional position aimed at promoting fairness, inclusiveness, balance, and justice in a diverse nation, stressing that the federal character principle is not a political slogan but a stabilising framework for national unity.
Also speaking, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, represented by his Senior Technical Adviser, Prof. Babatunde Bernard, described the induction as timely and strategic, aimed at strengthening governance and improving institutional performance.
