PRP's Kingsley: Competence Must Drive Public Appointments, Not Tribe

Yakubu Kingsley, a prominent figure and former presidential aspirant within the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), has strongly asserted that meritocracy, integrity, and accountability should form the bedrock of all public sector appointments. He emphasized that considerations such as ethnicity, religious beliefs, political affiliations, or personal allegiances should not be factors in selecting government officials.

Kingsley articulated that this core principle must steer the process of appointing public servants, simultaneously guaranteeing fair representation for Nigeria's diverse regions, communities, genders, and generational groups within the government structure. In a press release distributed on Wednesday, the erstwhile PRP presidential hopeful declared, “The new direction for the country should mean combining competence with equitable representation, integrity and accountability.” He further stated, “The guiding principle should be simple: Merit, Integrity, Representation, Transparency and Accountability.”

While acknowledging that competence must remain paramount in governmental selections, Kingsley stressed the importance of ensuring that no specific region, state, community, gender, or age group faces systemic exclusion from national engagement. He called for the transparent and measurable implementation of the Federal Character principle in governance. “Federal character must therefore become more than a constitutional principle invoked during political arguments; it must become a transparent and measurable instrument of governance,” Kingsley asserted.

To achieve this, he put forward a comprehensive framework for public appointments, designed to allow Nigerians to evaluate the geographical, professional, and various other aspects of representation within government. He believes such a system would significantly mitigate political disputes and accusations regarding appointments.

Furthermore, Kingsley emphasized that the principle of inclusion should transcend mere government appointments, encompassing policymaking processes and active consultations with various segments of society. He identified a broad spectrum of groups whose insights are crucial for national development, including political parties, professional associations, religious bodies, traditional leaders, civil society organizations, academic institutions, labour unions, the private sector, women's and youth organizations, persons with disabilities, Nigerians residing abroad, and diverse community groups.

He articulated, “Inclusion has to go beyond appointments. While government must remain constitutionally neutral, particularly in matters of religion and partisan politics, it must maintain structured channels for consultation with these constituencies and draw from their knowledge, experience and reach.”

Kingsley advocated for a governance model that encourages wider consultation with diverse groups, enabling them to actively participate in policymaking, monitor implementation, and offer valuable feedback. He asserted, “Governance must not be confined to Abuja or to the political class. Government must listen to the people they serve, who experience the consequences of its decisions.”

The PRP chieftain further extended the inclusion principle to communities directly impacted by natural resource extraction within Nigeria. He stated, “Nigeria belongs to us all; therefore, the government must reflect that reality. The country is a nation of remarkable ethnic, cultural, religious, professional, political and regional diversity. Legitimate interests must have voices and Nigerians must have fair opportunity to contribute to the development of the nation.” He concluded by arguing that regions where vital natural resources like petroleum, gas, and solid minerals are sourced should be granted a more significant stake in the developmental benefits derived from these resources.