The more Nigerians scream foul over his seemingly lopsided appointments, the deeper he delves into offensive recruitments.
Against all hues and cries over what analysts described as a carefully crafted script to “Northernise” Nigeria under the All Progressives Congress (APC) government, the President, who had urged his compatriots to simply address him as President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB), without the military prefix of “General”, appears not to have shelved the military toga of “rulership by impunity.”
A day after prominent leaders from the southern part of the country under the auspices of Southern Nigeria People’s Assembly (SNPA) expressed sadness over appointments so made far by President Buhari, describing them as lopsided; the Katsina-born former military head of state decided to rub the insult in.
At the meeting, they had observed that: “Elections are over and President Buhari is president of Nigeria and Nigerians. No section of the country should be over-patronised at the expense of others. It is our sincere hope that the lopsidedness in the appointments made by Mr. President to date is not an indication of the trend of future appointments.
“The constitution must be respected and the diversity of Nigeria must reflect in all appointments to guarantee stability, unity, peace and progress. A situation where the President, Senate President, Speaker and Chief Justice are from the North is not acceptable.
“The South is not subservient to the North and the situation in which only the deputies are zoned to the South is not acceptable”.
Edwin Clark, leader of the South-South delegates and frontline Ijaw leader, had also at the meeting said at 89 years he was no longer a member of any political party, pointing out that: “It is my strong, irrevocable view that the fundamental state directive principles and federal character shall not only be respected but must be seen to be adhered to by government for the overall interest and good of all Nigerians”.
The lopsided appointments also have riled some leaders of the APC, who said they were obviously tilted in favour of the North and that the party must move fast to cope with the backlash of expected rumblings in the polity.
A leader of the party was quoted as saying: “The President does not consult before making most of these appointments and I can tell you that Nigerians are going to term the party and the President as a northern party and the President of Northern Nigeria.”
Describing the appointments as sectional, Yerima Shettima, leader of the Arewa Youths Consultative Forum, said: “It is unfortunate the way the situation is, because one becomes worried. We must be seen to be nationalistic than being sectionalised.
“I am beginning to feel uncomfortable because the complaint is that the appointments are seen to be lopsided. I also do not think that is the intention of the government. However, no matter how we pretend, the reality is that things are not done in the right way.”
“The government should be seen to be more nationalistic than sectionalised. If we truly believe in true federalism and federal character, it should go round.
“We cannot say that a particular area has the best brains in the country. I think the government should look into that area thoroughly in as much as the President has good intentions.”
Abubakar Tsav, a retired Commissioner of Police, said: “I see the appointments as lopsided. Nigeria is too big to have majority of the appointees from one section of the country.
“We have competent people in every part of Nigeria. For that reason, he (Buhari) should spread the appointments to every part of Nigeria.
“If he (Buhari) is looking for honest people, there are honest people in every part of Nigeria, just as we have dishonest people in every part.
“Most Nigerians voted for him, even those who did not vote for him are his subjects and he is bound to carry every one along.”
Liborous Oshoma, a legal practitioner and analyst, in a television interview monitored in Lagos, there was no justification for the sidelining of other zones of the country in the appointments so far.
Oshoma said that politicking should give way after election for real governance, where elected public officers must see every part of the country as their stage.
“If you are saying that the President is appointing only those he knows too well, who he can work with, does it mean there are no competent persons in other sessions of the country?
During the campaign, the President dressed in the Yoruba and Igbo attires to give them a sense of belonging; to identify with them. Again, the Constitution says you must have votes from every section of the country to have the national spread, so that you are not seen as a sectional leader, but now it has come to appointment he goes to appoint all his people; that does not tally with the spirit of federal character,” he said.
“The APC said it was going to do things differently. The accused the Jonathan administration of doing things certain ways and said they would correct such things, now why going back to the things they condemned? Nigerians expect to see the change they promised. People are not saying give us appointment so that we can go there to enjoy ourselves, No; they are saying give us appointment so that we can feel belonged. Competent people do not only exist in the North, they also exist in other areas. When he appointed Nine to one, they said there are other appointments to be made, there’s no cause for alarm; it has continued in that pattern, now five to one and they are still saying the same thing; it is very disturbing,” Oshoma said.
Fred Agbaje, radical Lagos lawyer and human rights activist, told BD SUNDAY that it is obvious that President Buhari’s appointment so far is lopsided, but argued that Nigerians should grow beyond seeing decisions the President takes from regional perspective.
“That President Buhari’s appointment so far is lopsided cannot be argued. It is very obvious that over 60 percent of President Buhari appointments are northerners. But the questions Nigerians should be asking now in my own view are that: the individuals chosen so far by the President are they competent? Would they be able to do the job? We should rather focus on the real issues rather than dramatising every appointment the President make,” he said.
Gideon Obhakhan, former general manager, MTN Network Planning, said in an interview with BDSUNDAY that Nigerians, particularly none northerners, should realise that the President still has many more appointments to make, and call for unconditional support for the President, rather than making comments that will discourage the President.
“This is not the end of political appointments as far as President Buhari’s administration is concerned. There are still many positions to be filled in the country. Also, the President should be enjoying the support of Nigerians now; seeing that it is obvious for those who care to see he is working towards repositioning the country. He should be supported to choose those he thinks he can work with; whether northerners or otherwise,” he said.
Tolulope Ojemuyiwa, senior lecturer, Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ), said the issue of turning the country around for good is more than holding a regional view when it comes to political appointee, and admonished that Nigerians should brace up to face the reality on ground.
“You ask what the reality on ground is. The truth of the matter is that Federal Character contributed in no small way to where we are today as a nation. How long are we going to continue like this? Mind you, the President is also at a loggerhead with his party over the recent appointments. At least, President Buhari is in charge of the country; not party’s godfathers,” he said.
Zebulon Agomuo and Nathaniel Akhigbe
