FEDERAL CHARACTER PRINCIPLE AND POLITICS OF NIGERIAN NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

Nigeria a nation created by British Colonial administration comprising different ethnic nationalities and ethno religious and political formations has contended with incessant problems of poverty, insecurity, decay and dislocation in infrastructures resulting in underdevelopment and general instability in the polity. The introduction of the principle of federal character into the Nigerian politics was thought to assuage the feelings of the people. But rather than that, the system have been manipulated and politicize to favour one section of the country at the expense of the other. While some part of the country  are favoured from the implementation of the principle in terms of recruitment, promotion and disengagement, other section are shortchanged and relegated to the background. It is the position of this paper that to actualize the tenets of principles of true and federal character, the merit system should be adopted in the process of recruitment, promotion and disengagement in the public service.