₦airaland Forum

HungerBAD:
In this interview with ENIOLA AKINKUOTU, human rights lawyer, Mr. Festus Keyamo, speaks about President Muhammadu Buhari’s appointments

You are from the South-South. Why have you come out to defend President Muhammadu Buhari’s appointments which are largely in favour of the North?

I am not a tribalist. If I was, I wouldn’t have campaigned for Buhari. I just wanted the best for Nigeria. I agree that some of the best brains are from the South while some of the best are from the North. We have brains everywhere. However, why people are clamouring for these positions that have just been filled is that people see them as juicy positions and this is my problem.

About 95 per cent of the positions are yet to be filled. Buhari has filled just about five per cent of positions. For me, no government position is different from the other and that is the ideal situation. We should not classify some positions as more beneficial than others because that is a euphemism for corruption.

It is a euphemism to say that some positions are better than others. People were clamouring for the position of Secretary to the Government of Federation and Chief of Staff because in the past, the Peoples Democratic Party turned those positions into money-making machines. Nigerians have seen the ostentatious lifestyles that others who have occupied these positions have lived. And the nation allowed them to get away with those crimes. And yet we say we want a change. We must begin to change our orientation.

So, we are saying that we cannot make a holistic assessment until the President fills all these positions. For those positions he has filled, they are supposed to be occupied by those who are personally loyal to the President. I do not expect him to leave those positions to be filled by his political party. For example, you cannot say the chief of staff should be someone that is loyal to a power bloc in his party. That kind of person would close everyday from work, pick his telephone, and report all the activities of the President to his political camp.

That would not be fair because that kind of person would not be loyal to the President but by the person who nominated him for that office. There are many positions that the political party can fill that will not have direct access to the itinerary and activities of the President. That is why I said people should be calm. There are ministerial positions to be filled, heads of agencies and many others.

We must change our orientation such that any appointment given to anybody from any part of the country must be accepted with dignity and pride and patriotism. The argument is that certain ethnic groups have seen some positions as being exclusive to them. They argue that since the presidency has gone to the North and some positions have gone to some other geopolitical zones, the next one must come to them. The clamour is because they see these as hierarchies of juicy positions and I say no.

Is it coincidental that the South-East, where Buhari got low number of votes, has not received any political appointment?

Buhari got the lowest number of votes from the South-South. But as I said, the appointments are not yet complete. You say he has not appointed any Igbo but the biggest position so far has gone to an Igbo man: Emmanuel Kachikwu who is the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. It is just by modern political divide that the man falls within Delta State but he is a Delta Igbo. They speak Igbo. It is only by political delineation that he falls within Delta State but there are Igbo speaking Deltans.

He is an Igbo man but only on the other side of the Niger. He is not an Urhobo man. What language does he speak? Is it not Igbo? So what are we talking about? That is the biggest position and they have it already. So, you can see that all this noise is being made by frustrated and jobless politicians who just want to use ethnicity to get juicy positions. It is orchestrated. We the elite should not be moved by this noise and selfish agenda. Imagine a whole ethnic group campaigning for a position! Initially, they said chief of staff, then SGF. Now, with all the noise they have been making since May 29, imagine if one person from that region is appointed to that position.

That person will then see himself as a champion of his ethnic group and his kinsmen will descend on that office in the area of contracts and gifts. He will destroy the sanctity of that office and turn it into a political chessboard because that person will see himself as representing a region in that position. It removes professionalism from that position. So, we should not campaign for offices on the basis of representing an ethnic bloc. Yes, every region will get appointments but once he is appointed, he should not see himself as representing that ethnic group but the whole country.

But Section 13 of the constitution states that the composition of the government of the federation or any of its agencies and the conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote national unity.


Yes, I agree but the government has not been fully composed. Is it the SGF and chief of staff that constitute the government? So what is the noise all about? Five per cent of all appointments have not even been made. All these noises would have been valid if positions had been filled and it is lopsided. What if the next 10 appointments made are all Igbo? Wouldn’t those people castigating the government look foolish?

Do you think these fears are misplaced in the light of Buhari’s statement that constituencies where he didn’t get many votes would not be treated equally with areas where he got many votes?

It is very simple. It doesn’t mean that they would be schemed out. But if he says that, it is his prerogative. If the President says he will leave certain sensitive positions to certain areas because those ones directly have to do with his security and if he leaves these other positions to a certain area, what is wrong with that? It is the President’s prerogative. Like I said, all appointments should be received with dignity and pride. That is why he is the President.

The constitution states that each of the 36 states must produce a minister. However, you have said that all the appointments could be made at different times in order to save costs. Do you think this would be wise in the light of the recent allegations of marginalisation?

I believe that our priority as a people should not be appointments but conservation of national resources. If I know that a minister is supposed to be appointed from my state but the President is making appointments in bits because we cannot afford 36 ministers at the same time, why shouldn’t I make the sacrifice because by the time it is the turn of my state to produce the minister, another state would not have.

That is balancing and nothing is wrong with that. If for two years, a person from Delta is heading a ministry and within that same period, Edo State doesn’t have a minister and after sometime, the role is reversed such that Edo has a minister and Delta does not have, is that not equity? But the real issue is that people cannot wait to touch public funds and that is why they are complaining.

http://www.punchng.com/politics/igbo-has-best-appointment-under-buhari-keyamo/

Niwdog:
They asked him about geopolitical zone and the maga divited it to tribe. What a iidiot he is

porka:
[size=13pt]Logic 902

"All appointments are equal, no appointment is greater than the other."

"NNPC GMD is the greatest appointment"

- by Festus Keyamo (doctor of logic since 1813)[/size]

Aareonakakanfo:
Maybe he's a yellowbar man fathered by awusa Fulani

Reski:
Igbo's have this hatred for anything or anybody that is not of igbo extraction. That is why the nickname Nigerian jews befits them perfectly.
Secondly even if Buhari gives all the ministerial slots to the southeast they will never support his goverment. Because their hatred is not born out of the fact that they want good governance or a better Nigeria or beleive in the same principle of federal character they are shouting about or the unity of Nigeria (hypocracy of the highest order).
Igbo's should play opposition. besides even if igbo's are not given a single top position heaven will not fall and buhari will be re-elected again in 2019 without their votes.
Igbo's are not the largest or the most important ethnic group in Nigeria. So trying to please them is for me is a waste of time. Let them wail cry or whatever infact even secede Nigeria will continue to succeed with or without them.

centje:
The question the Interviewer asked was on zero appointment of a Nigerian from south east region, Keyamo switched to igbo...the question was on Region, South East Region, not tribe, not appointment of igbo from south south region, but Keyamo insisted he is not a tribalist. That is hypocrisy.

Anasdegari:
You have said it all. I sometimes sit down and wonder the kind of so called youths we have in Nigeria. Observing their disposition on social media, you'll find out that they reason like cowards, are always biased in their judgment and are easily deceived by some greedy politicians.

centje:
The question the Interviewer asked was on zero appointment of a Nigerian from south east region, Keyamo switched to igbo...the question was on Region, South East Region, not tribe, not appointment of igbo from south south region, but Keyamo insisted he is not a tribalist. That is hypocrisy.

obailala:
That is citing an example using the logic of the corrupt minded unreasonable wailers.

All appointments are equal but going by the senseless logic of the wailers, if any appointment is more juicy than the other, then an igbo man ironically has been given the greatest appointment so far.

Even a primary school pupil would have comprehended the simple explanation of Keyamo.

obailala:
Hahaha.. I knew one not-too-smart person must come up and say this trash. Everyone who says the absolute truth is either yoruba or he is looking for appointment; indirectly making it look like yorubas are the only reasonable and sensible people in nigeria. Going by your warped logic, I wonder if Keyamo was also searching for govt positions whrn he was busy opposing abacha and when he was thrown in kirikiri for years.

For the case of Sylva, you are asking why a lawyer should defend his client that has paid him money?.... very interesting! And then you say all charges against Timipre was dropped after buhari came in because he was in apc. Again, going by this your same warped logic jonathanian logic, all charges against FFK were also dropped probably because he was an alumnus of APC right?

victorels:
This is funny. You believe that on appointment is superior to another yet you are bold to say that IGBOs has got a juicy position at NNPC. I hope he can defend that KACHUKWU is Igbo

obailala:
That is citing an example using the logic of the corrupt minded unreasonable wailers.

All appointments are equal but going by the senseless logic of the wailers, if any appointment is more juicy than the other, then an igbo man ironically has been given the greatest appointment so far.

Even a primary school pupil would have comprehended the simple explanation of Keyamo.

Reski:
Igbo's have this hatred for anything or anybody that is not of igbo extraction. That is why the nickname Nigerian jews befits them perfectly.
Secondly even if Buhari gives all the ministerial slots to the southeast they will never support his goverment. Because their hatred is not born out of the fact that they want good governance or a better Nigeria or beleive in the same principle of federal character they are shouting about or the unity of Nigeria (hypocracy of the highest order).
Igbo's should play opposition. besides even if igbo's are not given a single top position heaven will not fall and buhari will be re-elected again in 2019 without their votes.
Igbo's are not the largest or the most important ethnic group in Nigeria. So trying to please them is for me is a waste of time. Let them wail cry or whatever infact even secede Nigeria will continue to succeed with or without them.

Reski:
Igbo's have this hatred for anything or anybody that is not of igbo extraction. That is why the nickname Nigerian jews befits them perfectly.
Secondly even if Buhari gives all the ministerial slots to the southeast they will never support his goverment. Because their hatred is not born out of the fact that they want good governance or a better Nigeria or beleive in the same principle of federal character they are shouting about or the unity of Nigeria (hypocracy of the highest order).
Igbo's should play opposition. besides even if igbo's are not given a single top position heaven will not fall and buhari will be re-elected again in 2019 without their votes.
Igbo's are not the largest or the most important ethnic group in Nigeria. So trying to please them is for me is a waste of time. Let them wail cry or whatever infact even secede Nigeria will continue to succeed with or without them.

porka:
Must you people just defend anything that concerns your god so blindly? We already know you are in bondage, why all the efforts to show it every time?

Festus Keyamo was not Sylva's lawyer, he was the EFCC prosecutor in that case. He withdrew as the prosecutor to the EFCC prelude to the DPP's withdrawal of all the charges.

Fani-Kayode's case was diligently prosecuted and the court discharged and acquitted him.

Try reading, even if it's once in a year. You will be liberated.

Anasdegari:
You have said it all. I sometimes sit down and wonder the kind of so called youths we have in Nigeria. Observing their disposition on social media, you'll find out that they reason like cowards, are always biased in their judgment and are easily deceived by some greedy politicians.

RickyTan:
Shut your thrash up. Hatred for non Igbo? Idiot! Throwing rubbish accusations bc you are jealous of Igbos.

Is Obasanjo that they voted for Igbo? Or is Jonathan Igbo?

Your furthering Yoruba attacks on Igbo and Igbo attack on Yoruba ONLY means the North wins.

Whynotthetruth:
In a country where truth is subjective, you see this kind of hypocritic statements and persons with no integrity;

1)Why is same people that screamed about Jonathan marginalizing them in appointments also same people crucifying SE for stating the obvious today?

2)How come NNPC boss is now more important than Petroleum Minister in the mind of Keyamo?

3)SE isn't now a geopolitical region but mere modern political side?

4)How come he saw nothing wrong in buhari's statement of 97%/5% but insult those crying for marginalisation?

5)When APC media outlets daily seek out APC stalwarts and sycophants to comment and justify certain policies; simply know that something is fishy/wrong there...

Finally, stock of in trade of hypocrites and political job seekers now is to insult SE vis a vis Igbo and justify myopic cum sectional deeds of buhari...Keyamo's lobbying for appointment here is crystal clear...thanks

AustineE1:
Keyamo patronizing the government to see if he cld be considered for an appointment,since he has now perpetually lost out in being a (SAN)senior advocate of Nigeria for quiet some years now......i gave up on him when he defended Sylva,the corrupt ex-Governor of Bayelsa in court against charges of corruptn brought against him by EFCC.

Sylva being an APC chieftain got the charges against him dropped immediately PMB took over helm of affairs of Nigeria. I wonder if all these 'latter days saints' in APC,have moral justification to talk about intergrity and corruption. They can only mess around with gullible Nigerians who have choosen to develop selective amnesia.