Buhari can’t breach federal character, says Okechukwu

MAURICE OKAFOR, Enugu
Against negative criticisms which has trailed the political appointments so far made by President Muhammadu Buhari, that is verymuch lopsided against Southern Nigeria, the latest in the series atwhich the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, was appointed from the core Northern state of ,Adamawa, in the person ofAlhaji Babachir David Lawal; Mr. Osita Okechukwu, a veritable spokesman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the South Eastzone of the country, has assured that President Buhari, will still keep to the principle of federal character as contained in the 1999 constitution.
The South East APC chieftain, who has kept mum since last week whenone of Buhari’s media aides, Mr. Femi Adesina announced the latest list of political appointments, in which the South East and South-South zone of the country lost out in the position of SGF, which overtime was widely speculated to be South East slot, broke his silence on the issue yesterday.
In a text message he forwarded across to reporters in Enugu, who have anxiously demanded for his reaction, Mr. Okechukwu said he is notequally happy that no Easterner made the list of latest political appointees, nonetheless, he said he is optimistic that the Igbo willbe accommodated in further appointments, since Buhari knows that federal character principle is sacrosanct and must be followed as streamlined in the 1999 constitution.
He said in the statement to Hallmark that, “To be candid as the SouthEast spokesman of APC, one is not happy that my people are angry fornot making the list, however, one relies on the timeless Igbo adage that ‘it is not wise to score the market too early in the day. There are over four hundred appointments to be dispensed in the next few months, he stressed.

 
“There are key ministerial slots and key boards of organizations hanging. Methinks that Mr. President I know, cannot deliberately breach the federal character principle spelt out in section 14[1] ofthe 1999 constitution of the federal Republic of Nigeria.
The Hallmark recalled that Okechukwu, the APC spokesman in the SouthEast zone and a group of Igbo elites, who presently operate under theaegis of Igbo leaders of thought led by Professor Nwabueze, have consistently fronted President Buhari agenda across the South Eastzone, with great expectation that he will consider Chief Ogbonnaya Onu, the former ANPP national chairman or any other prominent son ofthe South East zone, for the position of SGF, as compensation for
holding contrary political view to Ohanaeze Ndigbo, which is the apexbody of all Igbo socio-cultural organizations.

 
For instance, Mr. Okechukwu had a fortnight ago attacked theleadership of the apex body of all Igbo socio cultural organizations,Ohanaeze Ndigbo in the pages of newspaper, over press statementscredited to its Secretary General, Dr Joe Nwaogu, who criticized thelopsidedness of appointments so far made by Buhari as against Ndigboand demanded that his probe agenda must be holistic. Okechukwu in hisreaction accused Ohanaeze leadership to have tolerated the alleged
corruptive tendencies of former President Jonathan’s administration,which according to him is not a mark of Igbo decency and qualityexpected from those in traditional authorities.
The President General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Professor Igariwey when contacted on phone for his comments on the latest appointments byBuhari, excluding Ndigbo, as at the time of filing this report simplysaid he has no comments for now.
Meanwhile an Abuja-based lawyer, Dim-Udebuani Marcel, has sued President Muhammadu Buhari over recent appointments made by thepresident.
Mr. Buhari has been accused of favouring a section of the country against in the appointments he has so far made.

 
In a suit filed on August 31, with number FHC/ABJ/CS/732/2015, Mr.Marcel accused the president of marginalizing the South Eastgeopolitical zone, which has not received any appointment from theBuhari government yet.
The president and the Federal Character Commission are joined as defendants.Mr. Marcel’s counsel, Jude Ifesemen, said the plaintiff wants thecourt to determine whether the 25 important appointments made byPresident Buhari were done against the spirit of constitutionallyguaranteed federal character.
The court will decide “whether the exclusion of South Eastgeo-political zone in the 25 appointments made so far by the 1stdefendant is unconstitutional and divisive?” Mr. Marcel said.
He also sought to determine whether there are no qualified or corrupt free persons from the South East region.
The court will as well decide “Whether the 2nd defendant has in the circumstance of this case, discharged its statutory duties under paragraph 8(1), (a), (b) and (c) of the Third Schedule to the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended)”.
Mr. Marcel also prayed the court for an order compelling the presidentto reverse the appointments made so far and to observe and comply withthe principle of Federal Character as enshrined in the constitution ofthe Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999.
He also sought an order of court compelling the Chairman, Federal Character Commission, Oba Abdul-raheem to invoke paragraph 8(1) (c) ofthe Third Schedule to the 1999 constitution and order of court declaring all the appointments so far made null and void for violatingthe federal character.
The suit was supported with 23 paragraph affidavit deposed to by the plaintiff.A date is yet to be fixed for hearing on the case.Mr. Buhari has come under fire for what many see as lopsided appointments with more slots apparently going to the northern region.The president is from Katsina state in Nigeria’s northern area