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President Buhari’s appointments continue to fuel agitations

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…as he reinforces allegations of marginalization, ethnic agendas

By OLUSESAN LAOYE

As President Buhari is still basking in the euphoria of his first year of four years the second term in office, agitations of marginalisation are still going on unabated. This is because Nigerians especially those in the Southern parts of Nigeria still believed that nothing has changed in the economy, political and the social standard of living of the people.

Although the celebration has been low-keyed,  due to the COVID-19 pandemic which has put all public event including commercial and economic activities on hold, there were still agitations and reactions on the social media platform, the only options now being employed by Nigerians to vent their anger and frustration with the performance of government, which they claimed has not delivered on its mandate.

One of such protests was a letter written to Buhari by a retired firebrand military officer Col. Abubakar Dangiwa Umar, who warned concerning the lopsidedness and nepotic attitude of the president towards other ethnic groups in Nigeria. What also heightened the agitations in the period of COVID-19  lockdown is the deceit which went with it on the unfulfilled promises of Buhari’s government,  over the palliatives to cushion the effect of the lockdown.

The alleged distribution of what was available to only a section, particularly the Northern parts of Nigeria, convinced those in the south that there may not be changes in the ways and attitude of Buhari and his men and the sharing format of the key and crucial political appointments.

Even the key recent appointments made by the president in which southerners were replaced by Northerners fueled the conviction of other ethnic nationalities that the presidency has not repented and that he is not likely to repent.

According to reports, it was said that 80% of Buhari’s appointments into key posts favoured the North, especially in the security architecture.

However, recently, to defend the agitations of marginalisation, a document believed to be classified was released which gave contrary figures and percentage of appointments at the federal level and which shows that the entire south has more than the North put together as well in appointments.

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According to the document entitled: “Compilation of political appointees, heads of parastatals and agencies” and “Portfolios of ministers, special advisers, senior special assistants and special assistants to the President”, which was claimed was last updated in December 2018, the documents said that between 2015 to 2018, the North-Central topped the number of appointments in Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, with 102 appointees, the South-West came second with 101 appointees giving the two zones 35 per cent or 203 of the 567 appointments made.

The South-South came third with 99 appointments, ahead of the North-West, which came fourth with 94. The North-East followed with 93, and the South-East is least with 78.

In the North-Central, Kogi topped with 22 appointees, followed by Kwara with 21, and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja got the least with two appointees.
The document rated Ogun State in the South-West, as the highest in Nigeria with 31 appointees, more than the MDA appointments for three North-West states – Kebbi 13; Zamfara seven; and Sokoto six – combined. Buhari’s Katsina topped the North-West appointments with 24, while Kaduna and Kano each got 16; and Jigawa, 12.

The document confirmed the cry that the South East is most disfavoured as it came at the bottom with Imo State the third-highest number of MDA appointments in Nigeria with 29 appointees, while Anambra had 20; and Abia 14. Enugu and Ebonyi had eight and seven the document indicated.

According to the document, however, the percentage in executive management appointments in MDAs showed 51 per cent in favour of the 19 Northern states, and 49 per cent in favour of the 17 Southern states.
And 124 high profile political appointments comprising special advisers, senior special assistants, and special assistants to the president were made out of which 59 were from the Northern region and 65 were from the South. This number excludes 36 ministers who are statutorily appointed one each from a state.

Although those who leaked the document to show that the cry of marginalisation by the South was wrong,  it eventually exposed it as it was silent on other appointments and sectoral allocations in top positions which have something to do with policy decisions that affect the security, defence, finance and economy of Nigeria.

Both the Afenifere and the Ohaneze Ndigbo faulted the figures in the document, saying that it is a kangaroo thing which is not explicit and that those who brought it out, did so to deceive them.

They argued if even some of the percentage quoted were true, they were southerners qualified and who naturally rose to their various positions through the ranks and not politically appointed because they are professionals, who rose in the course of their duties on merit because they went to school to be qualified for whatever positions they are holding.

A  leader of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo and President Emeritus of Aka Ikenga, Chief Goddy Unwazurike claimed that the document has even shown that the South East is the most cheated and marginalised, saying, that the zone has no federal appointments at all with 13, 20 and 17% as it may be in some agencies and parastatals at the federal level. He said the only way out of the marginalisation and the dominance of the North is for Nigeria to restructure and give room for true federalism.

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Also Mr Yinka Odumakin the spokesperson of Afenifere said that the ongoing agitations were hinged on the appointments of Buhari who has refused to run an inclusive government, which has made Nigeria a fragile nation.

“When the security of a nation is determined by a section of the country without  the participation of the others, it portends a dangerous trend and the only way out  is restructuring and true federalism.”

Former Minister of Health, Professor Alphonsus Nwosu said categorically that Buhari has exhibited hatred and injustice against the south, particularly the South East.

“The South East right now is not even concerned about who gets what but restructuring and true federalism which will put the people in their rightful places. Buhari should be serious about true federalism which the founding fathers of Nigeria agreed upon. That is the only way out,”‘ he said.

 Also reacting about the federal appointments, constitutional lawyer Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) argued that it was clear that Buhari is biased against the South because he has since he came to power refused to apply the principles of Federal Character in his appointments. In the same vein, the Executive chairman Centre for Anti Corruption and Open leadership Debo Adeniran said a government claiming to be fighting corruption should be open to all and in the distributions of appointments based on merit and not those he knew and those forced on him.

The President of the Civil Liberty Organisation, Igho Akeregbe said that Buhari’s appointments have promoted acrimony and division because it has created a wide gap between the North and the South.

 

100 Buhari appointees and their geopolitical zones

Name Portfolio State/region

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  1. Tukur Buratai Chief of Army Staff Borno/North-East

    Babagana Monguno National Security Adviser Borno/North-East

    3. Abubakar Lawal Aide de Camp Kano/North-West

    4. Femi Adesina SA, Media and Publicity Osun/South-West

    5. Garba Shehu SA, Media and Publicity Kano/North-West

    6. Lawal Kazaure State Chief of Protocol Jigawa/North-West

    7. Ahmed Idris Accountant General Kano/North-West

    8. Abayomi Olonishakin Chief of Defence Staff Ekiti/South-West

    9. Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas Chief of Naval Staff Cross River/South-South

    10. Sadique Abubakar Chief of Air Staff Bauchi/North-East

    11. Monday Morgan Chief, Defence Intel Benue/North-Central

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    12. Lawal Daura DG, State Security Services Katsina/North-West

    13. Mahmood Yakubu INEC Chairman Bauchi/North-East

    14. Hadiza Bala Usman MD, NPA, Kaduna/North-West

    15. Paul Boroh SA, Niger Delta Amnesty Bayelsa/South-South

    16.  This position was held by Dakuku Peterside DG, NIMASA Rivers/South-South but has now been replaced with Bashir Jamoh/ a Northerner

    17. Umaru Dambatta Chief Executive, NCC Kano/North-West

    18. , FIRS: This post was formerly occupied Babatunde Fowler Lagos, SW,  but has been replaced with  a Northerner, Nami

    19. Aliyu Gusau DG, Budget Office Zamfara/North-West, replaced by Ben Akubueze, Anambra/ Southeast

    20. Maikanti Baru GMD, NNPC Bauchi/North-East/replacd by Mele Kyari/ North east

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    21. BOSS Mustapha /North-East/SGF

    22. Prof. Agboola Gambari, Kwara, /Northcentral (replaced late Abba Kyari Borno/NE

    23. Hameed Ali CG, Nigerian Customs Kaduna/North-West

    24. Kure Abeshi CG, Nigerian Immigration Nasarawa/North-Central

    25. Ita Enang SSA, National Assembly Akwa Ibom/South-South

    26. Suleiman Kawu SSA, National Assembly Kano/North-West

    27. Modecai Baba Ladan Director, DPR Kano/North-West

    28. Ahmed Lawan Kuru MD, AMCON Yobe/North-East

    29. Mohammed Kari Insurance Commission Bauchi/North-East

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    30. Ibrahim Magu Acting Chairman, EFCC Borno/North-East

    31. Abike Dabiri SSA, Diaspora Ogun/South-West

    32. Abdullahi Muhammadu CG, NSCDS Niger/North-Central

    33.

    34. Aishah Ahmad Deputy Gov. CBN Niger/North-Central

    35. Mary Ekpere DG, NCWD Cross River/South-South

    36. Dikko AbdulRahman Chairman, BoI Borno/North-East

    37. Ahmed Dangiwa MD, Federal M. Bank Kaduna/North-West

    38. Melville Ebo ED, Federal M. Bank Anambra/South-East

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    39. Dankane Abdullahi ED, Federal M. Bank Kebbi/North-West

    40. Alex Okoh DG, BPE Edo/South-South

    41. Ibrahim Goni CG, National Park Niger/North-Central

    42. Nasiru Ladan DG, NDE Niger/North-Central

    43. Saliu Alabi DG, MINILS Benue /North-Central

    44. Jeffery Barminas DG, RICT Adamawa/North-East

    45. Haruna Yerima DG, NISER, Borno/North-East

    46. Mohammed Tukur Secretary, FCC Adamawa/North-East

    47. Shettima Abba Chairman, FCC Borno/North-East

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    48. Tunde Erukera ES, CPP Kogi/North-Central

    49. Umar Gambo Jibrin ES, FCDA Bauchi/North-East

    50. Muhammad Abdallah CEO, NDLEA Adamawa/North-East

    Name, Portfolio, State/region

    51. Garba Abari DG, NOA Yobe/North-East

    52. Sule Kazaure DG, NYSC Jigawa/North-West

    53. Jelani Aliyu DG, NADDC Sokoto/North-West

    54. Bayo Onanuga DG, NAN Ogun/South-South

    55. Ibrahim Idris IG of Police Niger/North-Central

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    56. Ghaji Bello DG, NPC Gombe/North-East

    57. Saleh Dunoma MD, FAAN (Not confirmed)

    58. U.S.A. Sadiq Dir, Security, FAAN  Not confirmed

    59. Rabiu Yadudu, Dir. Operations, FAAN Kano/North-West

    60. Salisu Daura Dir, Maintenance, FAAN Katsina/North-West

    61. Rahimatu Aminu-Aliyu  ED, Federal M. Bank North

    62. Julie Okah DG, NAPTIP South-South

    63. Bello Rabiu COO, NNPC Kano/North-West

    64. Henry Ikem-Obih COO, NNPC South-South

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    65. Bello Gusau ES, PTDF Nasarawa/North-Central

    66. Isiaka Abdulrazaq CFO, NNPC Kwara/North-Central

    67. Isa Inuwa COO, NNPC North

    68. Saidu Muhammad COO, NNPC North

    69. Babatunde Adeniran COO, NNPC South-West

    70. Chidi Momah Secretary, NNPC Not confirmed

    71. Modecai Baba Ladan Dir, DPR Niger/North-Central

    72. Eberechukwu Uneze ED, AMCON Imo/South-East

    73. Aminu Ismail ED, AMCON Kano/North-West

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    74. Ishaq Oloyede Registrar, JAMB Ogun/South-West

    75. Chidi K. C. Izuwah DG, ICRC South-East

    76. Bolaji Owasanoye ICPC South-West

    77. Lenrie Aina National Librarian Ogun/South-West

    78. Prof. Obioma, NECO   Not confirmed

    79. Umaru Maza Maza Chair, REA Kebbi/North-West

    80. Damilola Ogunbiyi MD, REA Lagos/South-West

    81. Sanusi  Ohiare ED, REA Kogi/North-Central

    82. Fola C. Akinkuotu MD, NAMA South-West

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    83. Sani Abubakar Mashi DG, NiMet Katsina/North-West

    84. Abdulsalam Mohammed Rector, NCAT Kogi/North-Central

    85. Akinola Olateru Commissioner, AIB South-West

    86. Abubakar Rasheed EO, NUC North

    87. Abdulkadir Umar ES, PPPRA North

    88. Elias Nwalem RMAFC Ebonyi/South-East

    89. Marilyn Amobi NBET South-East

    90. Faisal Shuaib ES, NPHCDA Nasarawa/North-Central

    91. Umaru Ibrahim NDIC Kano/North-West

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    92. Uja Tor Uja NCPC Benue/North-Central

    93. Isa Pantami DG, NITDA Gombe/North-East

    94. Patience Oniha DG, DMO Edo/South-South

    95. Nnenna Akajemeli CEO, SERVICOM Imo/South-East

    96. Folashade Joseph MD, NAIC Kogi/North-Central

    97. Cecilia Gaya DG, ASCON Adamawa/North-East

    98. Luci Ajayi ES,

    100. Usman Abubakar Chair, NRC Katsina/North-West

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