The ongoing protest by the Berom community, since July, against the appointment of Professor Abdullahi Ahmed as Provost of the Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology (FCAH&PT), Vom in Plateau State is a reprehensible act that fundamentally misunderstands the nature of federal institutions in Nigeria. This is not a community appointment; it is a national one and to frame it as a religious or ethnic entitlement is dangerous and an affront to the ideals of a united Nigeria. The history of the Vom institution complex underscores its national and continental importance. The National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI) was established in 1924 as a Veterinary Laboratory to combat the devastating Rinderpest outbreaks that decimated cattle populations across West Africa. The Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology itself began in 1941 as the Veterinary School Vom and evolved into a leading institution for training manpower in animal health and production technology. Its historical significance is unparalleled. It was the first higher institution in West Africa to produce graduate veterinary surgeons before Nigeria’s first university. Between 1947 and 1962, it trained veterinary manpower for countries including Cameroon, Liberia, Ghana, Sierra Leone, The Gambia, Ethiopia and Sudan. Sir Dauda Jawara, former President of The Gambia, was among those trained as a veterinary officer at Vom. For over a century, Vom has not been a local enterprise; it has been a cornerstone of Nigeria’s agricultural and veterinary development. What makes the current protest disturbing is the selective outrage over the appointment of Professor Ahmed. The NVRI itself is headed by Dr Yakubu Gunya Dashe, a Christian from Plateau State, serving as Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer. The Federal College of Medical and Veterinary Laboratory Technology, also within the Vom complex is led by Dr Chukwu Otuh Okoh Chukwu, a Christian from Ebonyi State. Yet the Berom Intelligentsia Forum and their supporters have chosen to target only Professor Ahmed, a Muslim from Gombe State, demanding his replacement with Associate Professor Luka Pam, a Christian from the Berom tribe. They have threatened to shut the institution’s gates and cause chaos if their demand is not met. The question is: where were these protesters when Dr Dashe and Dr Chukwu where appointed? Their silence then and agitation now suggest that this is not about fairness or competence. It is about marginalisation and bigotry. If Plateau State, or any other state, is allowed to determine who heads federal institutions located within its territory, the foundation of the Nigerian federation will be threatened. Federal institutions are national assets, not properties of host communities. The implication of accepting this argument is frightening. If the Berom community can dictate who leads FCAH&PT, Vom, what stops the people of Zaria from insisting they select the Director General of the College of Aviation Zaria? What stops the people of Enugu from claiming ownership of the National Root Crops Research Institute? What stops the people of Kaduna from demanding they appoint the Commandant of the Nigerian Defence Academy? Such a practice would transform federal institutions into ethnic and religious fiefdoms, destroying their national character and undermining merit. The claim that the Berom community’s donation of land over a century ago gives it an “inalienable right” to choose the head of a federal institution is outdated and unacceptable. Land ownership cannot translate into ownership of a national institution. The federal government must resist this dangerous trend decisively. What begins in Vom will not end there. If unchecked, it will spread across the country and deepen the very parochialism the federal system was created to overcome. Similar reactions have occurred concerning institutions such as the University of Jos, Industrial Training Fund, NVRI and the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru. Associate Professor Luka Pam may be a competent professional with impressive credentials and experience at NVRI, but the appointment process for federal institutions is designed to select the best candidate for the nation, not a candidate based on ethnicity or religion. Professor Abdullahi Ahmed is also a distinguished veterinary scientist and academic. A professor of Animal Production and Health, he served for over two decades at NVRI before joining Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, where he rose to the rank of Professor through his contributions to teaching, research and academic leadership. Community leaders who look away while federal institutions are shut down through ethnic pressure are complicit. Their silence encourages a dangerous precedent that threatens national unity. The federal government must stand firm. The battle for Vom is not about one appointment; it is about whether Nigeria’s
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