NEWS
Aba South Chairman, Hon. Obialor Anyanwu Champions Inclusion as President Tinubu Tasks LG Bosses on Federal Character
…says Aba South is Putting Inclusion and Peaceful Coexistence Into Practice
…as President Tinubu urges Nigeria’s 774 Council Chairmen to Make Federal Character Work at the Grassroots.
The Executive Chairman of Aba South Local Government Area of Abia State, Hon. Obialor Denis Anyanwu, has reaffirmed his commitment to inclusive governance, peaceful coexistence and equitable representation, declaring that the principles of federal character must go beyond policy documents and become visible in appointments and the day-to-day administration of local government.
Hon. Anyanwu made the assertion while speaking in an interview at the Federal Character Commission’s national workshop for chairmen of Nigeria’s 774 Local Government Areas, held at Tropic Galleria, Abuja.
The two-day workshop, themed “Translating Federal Character Principles into Local Governance: Bridging Policy and Practice,” brought together Local Government chairmen from across the country, senior government officials, security agencies and other key stakeholders to explore practical ways of deepening inclusion, fairness, national integration and grassroots development.
Focusing on the experience of Aba South, Hon. Anyanwu said the council recognises the importance of ensuring that the diversity of the people living and working within the Local Government Area is reflected in governance and appointments.
According to him, peaceful coexistence remains a fundamental principle of the Aba South administration, particularly in a cosmopolitan environment that accommodates people from different parts of Nigeria, political backgrounds, ethnic groups and religious communities.
“We accommodate states, political blocks represented in my local government, in appointments. And that’s what we expect to happen in a multilingual, multi-religious, multi-ethnic nation like Nigeria,“ Hon. Anyanwu stated.
The Aba South Chairman noted that Local Governments occupy a particularly sensitive and strategic position in Nigeria because they are the closest tier of government to the people. He stressed that council chairmen must therefore take deliberate steps to ensure that opportunities, appointments and participation in governance give different groups within their communities a genuine sense of belonging.
For Hon. Anyanwu, inclusion is not merely a constitutional requirement but an essential foundation for maintaining peace, strengthening unity and driving sustainable development at the grassroots.
He affirmed that the Aba South Local Government Council remains committed to building a system in which no group feels excluded and every segment of the community has a stake in the progress of the area.
His position came as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, charged Executive Chairmen of Nigeria’s 774 Local Government Areas to translate the principles of federal character into practical, inclusive and equitable governance at the grassroots.
The President gave the charge on Monday, August 24, 2026, in a keynote address delivered on his behalf by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, at the national workshop organised by the Federal Character Commission in collaboration with the Progressive Governors Forum.
President Tinubu stressed that the true effectiveness of governance must ultimately be measured by its impact on ordinary citizens and communities.
He described Nigeria’s vast diversity as one of the country’s greatest strengths and urged political leaders to manage the nation’s different cultures, ethnicities and beliefs through fairness, justice and inclusion.
According to the President, Local Government Councils represent the closest interface between citizens and the state and must therefore play a central role in ensuring that government policies produce meaningful results where they matter most.
“Policies, no matter how well-crafted, achieve little unless they are effectively translated into action where it matters most, the grassroots.
“You must rise above sectional interests and embrace a broader national perspective that prioritises unity over division and inclusiveness over exclusion,” the President said.
Earlier, the Executive Chairman of the Federal Character Commission, Hon. Hulayat Motunrayo Omidiran, said the workshop was conceived to strengthen the relationship between federal character, grassroots governance and national integration.
She described the gathering as a timely intervention designed to reinforce unity, fairness, inclusion and peaceful coexistence across the country.
“Our ethnic, linguistic, and religious diversities are not obstacles to nationhood; rather, they are valuable strengths capable of driving national growth when managed with equity, justice, and sincerity of purpose,” Omidiran said.
Omidiran maintained that Local Governments are uniquely positioned to manage diversity at the community level through equitable distribution of opportunities, fair representation, inclusive leadership and meaningful engagement with citizens.
“The future of Nigeria depends greatly on our collective willingness to promote justice above prejudice, unity above division, and national interest above personal or sectional considerations,” she said.
The workshop also placed significant attention on grassroots security, with the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (rtd.), OFR, calling for stronger partnerships between Local Governments, communities, traditional and religious institutions, security agencies and the private sector.
Speaking on “Strengthening Grassroots Security through Inclusive Local Leadership, Community Partnership and Inter-Agency Collaboration,” the Defence Minister said insecurity is often experienced first and most directly within local communities.
“If we are serious about preventing insecurity rather than simply responding to it after it occurs, then the knowledge and experience of those closest to the people must become an integral part of our security effort,” Musa said.
Musa supported the proposal for the establishment of Local Government Security Coordination Committees across the 774 Local Government Areas, while cautioning that such committees must be genuinely functional and not become another layer of bureaucracy.
“The objective should be clear, to strengthen the connection between our communities and the security architecture of the country, improve early warning and, where possible, prevent incidents before they escalate.
“When we secure a farming community, we are protecting livelihoods and food production. When we secure a business district, we are protecting investment and employment.
“The objective is not to create parallel security structures, but to improve coordination, strengthen existing institutions and ensure that every stakeholder contributes effectively within his or her area of responsibility,” Musa stated.
Representing the Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum and Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma, the Director-General of the Forum, Folorunso Aluko, described Local Government as the level at which citizens encounter the reality of government most directly.
He noted that functioning primary healthcare centres, accessible roads, improved sanitation and support for vulnerable citizens were practical examples of how governance could transform lives.
“When a primary healthcare centre functions, a community road becomes passable, sanitation improves or vulnerable citizens receive support, government ceases to be an abstract institution, it becomes a living source of dignity, confidence and hope,” Aluko said.
He, however, stressed that greater authority at the Local Government level must be accompanied by greater responsibility and accountability.
“Autonomy must always travel with responsibility. Greater authority must produce higher standards of transparent budgeting, prudent financial management, merit-based appointments, procurement integrity, audit compliance and meaningful citizen engagement.
“Local Government Chairmen are not merely administrators of councils; you are custodians of public trust and frontline builders of the Nigerian federation,” he stated.
Also speaking, the Director-General of the National Orientation Agency, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, said federal character should not be seen merely as a formula for appointments but as a broader principle of belonging, fairness and inclusion.
He said the central challenge of nation-building was ensuring that every Nigerian, irrespective of origin or location, genuinely feels that Nigeria belongs to them.
“Federal Character must therefore be understood as more than a formula for appointments. At its heart, it is a principle of belonging.
“When development is equitable, we are not merely distributing infrastructure; we are distributing belonging.
“When opportunities are fairly shared, we are not simply fulfilling constitutional requirements; we are strengthening citizens’ confidence in Nigeria,” he said.
For Hon. Obialor Denis Anyanwu, these principles are particularly relevant to grassroots administration. His emphasis on accommodating the different groups represented in Aba South reflects the broader message of the Abuja workshop, that unity and national cohesion cannot remain abstract ideals but must be deliberately reflected in leadership decisions, appointments and access to opportunities.
The workshop, which ends on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, is expected to equip the 774 Local Government chairmen with practical knowledge on applying federal character principles to governance, appointments, planning, resource allocation and development.
It is also expected to strengthen grassroots security, citizen engagement, community participation and inter-agency collaboration across Nigeria.
High-powered government officials at the opening ceremony included the Director-General of the National Orientation Agency, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu; Director-General of the National Bureau of Statistics, Adeyemi Adeniran; National President of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners Association, Dr. Ogbona Chime; President of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, Dr. Aminu Muazu-Maifata; Managing Director of Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trading Plc, Mr. Akinola Odeyemi; and Kano State Commissioner for Local Government, Hon. Tajudeen Usman.
As the national conversation on inclusion and grassroots governance continues, Hon. Anyanwu’s message from the workshop remains clear: federal character must be lived and practiced at the level closest to the people, where fair representation, peaceful coexistence and 
a genuine sense of belonging can translate directly into peace, unity and development.