PRP CHIEFTAIN CALLS FOR MERIT-BASED PUBLIC APPOINTMENTS

A presidential aspirant and chieftain of the Peoples Redemption Party, Yakubu Kingsley, has called for competence, integrity and accountability to play a central role in the appointment of public officials in Nigeria. Kingsley said public appointments should not be determined by ethnicity, religion, political affiliation or personal loyalty.

He said competence should be combined with equitable representation to ensure that different regions, communities, genders and generations are fairly represented in government. According to him, the guiding principles for appointments should include merit, integrity, representation, transparency and accountability.

Kingsley also called for a more transparent application of the Federal Character principle, arguing that it should be measurable rather than being invoked only during political disagreements. He proposed a framework that would allow Nigerians to assess the geographical and professional representation of people appointed into government positions.

The PRP chieftain further argued that inclusion should go beyond government appointments and extend to policymaking and public consultations. He listed political parties, professional organisations, traditional institutions, civil society groups, academia, labour, the private sector, women and youth organisations, people living with disabilities, Nigerians in the diaspora and community groups as stakeholders whose views should be considered in national development.

Kingsley also said communities where petroleum, gas and solid minerals are extracted should have a greater stake in the development generated from those resources. He maintained that Nigeria's diversity should be reflected in governance while ensuring that citizens have fair opportunities to contribute to national development.