Plateau Youths Ask Tinubu to Review Appointment of College CEO

A group of Plateau youths has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to review the appointment of Prof. Abdullahi Ahmed as Chief Executive Officer of the Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology, Vom, insisting that the process should reflect the principles of equity, fairness and federal character.

The Concerned Plateau Youth Forum made the call during a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, where it expressed dissatisfaction with the appointment and urged the President to direct a fresh and transparent selection process for the leadership of the institution.

The college, located in Plateau State and operating under the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN), is a specialised institution focused on training and capacity development in animal health and production technology.

Addressing journalists, the forum's convener, Nanla Nanzin, argued that the appointment should take into account the Federal Character Principle and ensure broad representation in federal institutions across the country.

Nanzin said Plateau State has qualified professionals with experience in animal health, veterinary medicine and agricultural administration who, in the group's view, are capable of leading the institution.

He alleged that qualified Plateau indigenes were overlooked during the appointment process and further claimed that important stakeholders, including traditional rulers, youth organisations and the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria, were not adequately consulted.

According to him, the group is concerned that the appointment, if left unaddressed, could generate unnecessary tension among stakeholders in the state.

Nanzin also alleged that there had been a broader pattern of what the group described as the exclusion of Plateau indigenes from leadership positions in federal institutions located in the state.

He, however, stressed that the group's objection was not motivated by ethnic considerations but by what it described as the need to uphold constitutional principles of fairness, justice and equitable representation in federal appointments.

"We are not opposed to any individual on the basis of ethnicity or personal considerations. Our concern is that the process must be fair, transparent and consistent with the principles of federal character and equity," the group said through its convener.

The forum therefore appealed to President Tinubu to reconsider the appointment and initiate a process that would give all qualified candidates a fair opportunity to compete for the position.

Beyond the Presidency, the group called on the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to engage with the Presidency over the matter.

It also urged Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang to intervene and defend what it described as the interests of the state, while appealing to the Minister of Livestock Development to ensure fairness and inclusiveness in appointments under the ministry.

The youths further called on the National Assembly to investigate the process through which the appointment was made, urging lawmakers to determine whether due process and relevant federal character considerations were observed.

They also asked the Plateau State House of Assembly to consider passing a resolution on the matter and forwarding it to the Presidency for consideration.

The forum called on the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria and other relevant stakeholders to intervene in the dispute and help ensure that the appointment process is resolved in a manner acceptable to all parties.

While expressing dissatisfaction with the appointment, the group said it remained committed to peaceful engagement and constructive dialogue.

Nanzin said the forum was not calling for the closure or shutdown of the institution, stressing that its objective was to seek a review of the appointment process and promote what it described as fairness, equity and transparent governance.

The group's position comes amid broader debates over the application of the Federal Character Principle in appointments to federal institutions, particularly where such institutions are located outside the Federal Capital Territory and are expected to serve the interests of their host communities as well as the wider country.