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.”

God will surely help us in this country that we're in.

dnt cry ova spilled milk.....#story for the gods#

I saw this coming

It is not that buhari is aged, is weak, listen to his voice like 85 years old man, whenever his kinsmen comes around whoever they point to shikenan

pls is jega working in INEC b4 jonathan appointed him to head INEC?
In all this appointment no south south/ south east professional/civil servant, men/women could fit in to