Reactions as Buhari favours Northerners in appointments into various political post

Firstclass newsline learnt that 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, onNairaland, 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 yourmumupromises, 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, anotherNairalandcommentator, 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 a source,
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 firstclass newsline 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."
Firstclassnewsline.net