Nigerians especially those from the Southern
part of the country on Friday, expressed concern
over the appointments made so far by President
Muhammadu Buhari.
They said the appointments were lopsided and
not in the best interest of the country.
President Buhari is from Katsina State, Senate
President Bukola Saraki and House of
Representatives Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, are
from Kwara and Bauchi states respectively. The
judiciary is led by Justice Mahmud Mohammed
from Taraba State.
Of the nine appointments made by Buhari so far,
eight are from the North, while one is from the
South. The appointments are: Director-General of
the State Services, Lawal Daura, Katsina State;
Acting Chairman, the Independent National
Electoral Commission, Mrs. Amina Bala Zakari,
Jigawa State; Director, the Department of
Petroleum Resources, Mr. Mordecai Danteni
Baba Ladan; and the Accountant-General of the
Federation, Alhaji Ahmed Idris, Kano State.
Others are the State Chief of Protocol, Mallam
Lawal Abdullahi Kazaure; Aide De Camp, Lt.-Col.
Muhammed Lawal Abubakar, Kano State; Senior
Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam
Garba Shehu; and Special Adviser on Media and
Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, South-West.
The appointments, however, drew the ire of
Nigerians who asked Buhari to respect the
country’s principle of federal character.
Already, the Internet, particularly the social
media and blogs, are agog with reactions and
counter-reactions on the matter.
A commentator named Daamazing, on Nairaland ,
Nigeria’s largest discussion forum, accused
Buhari of appointing only Northerners into key
positions announced so far.
The enraged citizen said in pidgin, “After all your
mumu promises, one thing you’ve not achieved,
na to dey appoint all the people for your family
tree, dey do tourism up and down. (After all your
promises, you’ve not achieved anything. All you
have done is to appoint your kinsmen and travel
all around the world).”
Another commentator identified simply as
Augster, said, “Buhari, don’t let those who voted
for you down because your appointment of only
Northerners into top positions is baffling us.”
SenseiX, another Nairaland commentator, said it
was wrong for Buhari to have brought Daura, the
acting DSS DG, from retirement to head the
agency when there were qualified persons from
other regions of the country still in service.
He said, “He ignored the entire senior cadre of
the agency- from Bassey Eteng to the least-
simply because they are Southerners. Even if he
wanted to pick a a Northerner, he should have
picked from the service rather than a 62-year-old
retiree, whose only qualification is being Buhari’s
kinsman, who was in the DSS. When former
President Goodluck Jonathan appointed
Ekpenyong, he was already a Director of
Operations, same for Gadzama, who was
appointed by Umaru Yar’Adua.”
As of the time of filing this report, the story-
Buhari sacks DG DSS, service chiefs may go- had
been read by 30,722 Nigerians on the PUNCH
website, some of who expressed anger over the
development.
A reader named as Ify, said, “In as much as I do
not subscribe to ethnic sentiments, I am
sensitive to the malaise of ethnic distrust in the
country. A wise leader would therefore, thread
cautiously around this landmine. We must
patiently navigate our way out of ethnic bias.
“Let me also point out that Nigeria’s strength is
derived from her diversity, therefore, any
government that wishes to succeed must draw
from our diversity, and not limit itself to the
talents from one region alone.”
Another reader, Omoyooba, said, “In a multi-
ethnic and multi-religious Nigeria, it is insensitive
of him to be making appointments made up of
Northern Muslims. What of the Christians and
the Southerners? President Muhammadu Buhari
should know that former President Goodluck
Jonathan started with greater goodwill than this
in 2011 and he ran it aground in four years.
Buhari should not make the same mistake.
Nigeria belongs to everybody.”
On Facebook, Fidelis Anumole-Oparaku, who was
apparently disappointed with the situation, said
the President’s ministerial appointments would
not be much better.
He said, “Because he lacks the power to do so
with ministerial appointments, he will likely give
key positions to Northern Muslims, then the soft
ones will be given to Northern Christians and the
South.”
Like the online community, prominent groups in
the South-West – Afenifere, Yoruba Unity Forum
and the Movement for Oodua Republic – said
this kind of lopsided appointments had never
happened in the political history of the country.
While describing the President’s actions as
worrisome, the YUF Secretary-General, Senator
Anthony Adefuye, warned that the earlier the
situation was reversed, the better, adding that
the YUF would not expect the North to
marginalise the South.
He said, “The fact that the President, Senate
President and the Speaker of the House of
Representatives are from the North is
worrisome. There is no way the North can take
all the principal offices and leave the deputy to
us. It has never happened before and the earlier
it is reverted, the better.
“There is no way that can continue because the
South is not subordinate to the North. The think
tank committee of the YUF will meet soon to
look at the issue and see how it affects the
Yoruba people. However, the development is a
wrong signal that must be corrected.”
While calling on Southerners to be patient and
watch events unfold, Adefuye said no region
could be a subordinate of the other.
“What is more worrisome is that the immediate
past INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, handed
over to a Southerner but the Presidency changed
it to a Northerner. We are watching and waiting
to see what comes out of this new government.”
Adefuye added, “Southerners are always careful
and concerned not to marginalise the North.
Therefore, I will not expect the North to
marginalise the South now that the Presidency is
shifted to the region.”
The National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Mr.
Yinka Odumakin, said the group was watching
the President’s actions and taking note of them.
Odumakin, who spoke with one of our
correspondents on Friday, said, “We have taken a
position in Afenifere to watch the President’s
actions before we begin to make comments. By
the time we have a clearer picture of what is
happening in the first 100 days of the President
in office, we are certainly going to make a
comprehensive statement.”
Also, the leader of MOR, Mr. George Akinola, said
the country was heading towards total conflict
should the situation continue.
He said, “The country has already been divided
along religious lines. The fault lines are there
and will always be there. This will continue until
a time when one way or the other a conference
or a referendum happens. There is no option that
is not on the table but at least we will prefer the
path of peace.”
Representing the interest of the South-Eastern
people, the President-General of Ohanaeze
Ndigbo, Chief Gary Enwo-Igariwey, asked the
President to respect the principle of federal
character in his appointments.
Enwo-Igariwey said, “We expect the President to
recognise other nationalities that make up
Nigeria. Elections are over, it is time for
governance. We expect that the principle of
federal character, which is constitutional, should
be respected.
“It is important that in making his appointments,
the President should recognise that there are six
geo-political zones in the country and it is
imperative that he carries all of them along in
the spirit of nation building and as a statesman.”
The Igbo World Union and the Ohanaeze Youth
Council described the President’s actions as a
threat to the corporate existence of Nigeria.
The OYC National President, Mazi Okechukwu
Isiguzoro, said, “Buhari should not abuse his
privileged position as the President of Nigeria for
the moment. He should not forget our federal
system but reflect the federal character in his
appointments.
“We are warning him to drop the Northern
agenda and govern Nigeria in line with the
constitution which he sworn to protect. We will
hold him by his statement that ‘he is for nobody
and for everybody ‘ except he now wants to tell
us that he is the President of the North alone.”
According to Isiguzoro, Buhari’s actions
demonstrate that he came to power to reverse
the positive steps made by Jonathan, who gave
consideration to Nigeria’s ethnic plurality in his
appointments.
“Jonathan appointed Northerners as his National
Security Adviser, Defence Minister, Inspector-
General of Police, Chief of Defence Staff etc. But
so far, Buhari has shown us that he has no
regard for other parts of the country.”
In his reaction, the President-General of Igbo
World Union, Dr. Mishak Nnanta, asked the
President not to succumb to any ill- advice from
individuals with parochial interest.
The National President of Njiko Igbo Forum,
Reverend Okechukwu Obioha, warned Buhari
against running what he described as a
“Northern government.”
Obioha expressed the fear that the trend, if left
unchecked, could destroy the country.
He said, “Buhari is simply running a Northern
government. He is making his appointments as if
he is angry with other sections of the country.
The appointments are lopsided in favour of the
North and that is not acceptable.”

http://www.punchng.com/news/appointments-uproar-as-buhari-favours-northerners/

cc.lalasticlala

admin.

Mehn... This is really an issue o...

Chai... Nigerians and misplaced priorities...

Following

Hmmm

lalasticlala my mainest man

No one should complain. Where gone all the "sai Baba" ? We all are welcome to relax, fasten your seat belt and be entertained by Baba. There's nothing anyone can do at this point. For those who betrayed Jonathan with hope, pls hold strong.
For me, it is too early to complain. S/westerners are the ones cheering this uproar. Why? If S/westerners were appointed there wouldn't have been any uproar. I don't care whoever he appoints. All I care is the realization of the promises he made during his campaign
#LetBabawork!!!!
#nevertrustamancompletely