On Sunday, July 17, 2016, presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, went on Channels Television to speak to Nigerians on the appointments so far made by President Muhammadu Buhari. He gave various reasons in an attempt to throw the wool over the eyes of Nigerians as to why the appointments made by Buhari are fair and in good spirit. He revealed that some major appointments are done for strategic reasons against the principle of federal character as in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Adesina said besides federal character, there are other factors that are considered in making appointments which are germane to the administration. He said, “When it is the turn of a person to hold a certain office and you say because he is from a certain region you then bypass him for another person, you have been unfair to that person and also to the system. “The security system often times operates on hierarchy and efficiency. So if you have a senior person who is also efficient and because he comes from a certain region, you bypass him, I think you are being unjust and unfair to somebody. There are some appointments that are not necessarily subject to federal character,” Adesina was speaking to convince Nigerians in a bid to douse the tension resulting from the lopsided appointment of his principal which even disfavours his South West zone.
Col. Tony Nyiam, a retired army Colonel from Cross River State, also accused Buhari of being trapped by influential forces around the presidency which order and control most decisions of the president. Nyiam said he, at the beginning of the administration, had confidence in Buhari’s government when Buhari said, “I belong to nobody, I belong to everyone,” he said that statement gave him hope of a better Nigeria. But the appointments of Buhari made him lose hope in the president. “The appointments we have seen from Buhari suggest that President Buhari is being misguided and being pushed to be very partial. He has made appointments in critical areas. These appointments are all coming from the same zone.
“President Buhari is a man I served with, he is a man who is a true Nigerian. What I am suggesting is that he appears increasingly and gradually being caged by irredentists who are going to spoil his chances of becoming the Mandela of Nigeria.” But again, Adesina fired back saying, “Everyone in Nigeria knows President Buhari. He had been a Head of State and we saw how he dealt with corruption and even now, he is not relenting. “As a matter of fact, he made corruption the chief issue among his campaign promises and he is dealing with that. Besides, he has said right from his swearing in that he belongs to no one but everyone. Why would he now change? And don’t forget that the President before he was elected, ran for the same office three times. “So, would he win and then give his presidency to someone else to run for him? “Again, the President has said he does not have northern agenda. Look, Nigerians needed change and they have got that by voting President Buhari to power. “He has a national agenda because he was voted for by all Nigerians. “So, it will be preposterous to accuse Mr. President of having pro-North agenda or that he is caged. Caged by who? He is the President of Nigeria and should be seen and addressed as such.” But available facts indicate that President Muhammadu Buhari has deliberately violated the federal law in his appointments to positions in the country. He has appointed by far more persons from Nigeria’s northern region where he hails from. If the statement of Adesina were to be the true state of events, then Buhari wouldn’t have made the appointments in which he has made them for past one year. In paragraph 8, subsection 1 of the third schedule of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the federal character commission law states that every administration is expected to, “work out an equitable formula, subject to the approval of the National Assembly, for the distribution of all cadres of posts in the public service of the federation and of the states, the armed forces of the federation, the Nigeria Police force and other government security agencies, government owned companies and parastatals of the states” and to promote, monitor and enforce compliance with the principle of proportional sharing of all bureaucratic, economic, media and political posts at all levels of government.”
Also, section 5 of the federal character law, the constitution states that “drawing as much as possible, in equal number, from each state of the federation and approximately a third of that number from the Federal Capital Territory.
The best and most competent candidates from each state of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory shall be shortlisted to compete for positions reserved for their respective States and zones”. This means every national office must be shared proportionally among the states and regions of the country. This provision by the constitution was ignored by President Buhari in the appointment he made for the past one year. The positions in this regard include those of the permanent secretaries, directors-general in extra-ministerial departments and parastatals, directors in ministries and extra-ministerial departments, senior military officers, senior diplomatic posts and managerial cadres in the federal and state parastatals, bodies, agencies and institutions. Based on this constitutional provision, Adesina’s argument of some sensitive positions that do not need federal character is overruled. Ambassadorial Appointments – South South States: Six nominees with Bayelsa state missing but Edo state is an APC state. – South East: Six nominees with Ebonyi state missing but Imo an APC state (2), Anambra (2). – South West: Seven nominees. Total Southern states: 19 ambassadorial nominees from Southern states. All Northern states: 28 ambassadorial nominees from the Northern states. This is showing a difference of nine, whereas, some states in the south were left out. States in the South 17 and states in the North including FCT is 20, with a difference of three. From statistics, it is clear that Buhari’s appointment is lopsided in favour of the North. This is why many Nigerians have raised eye brow over the appointment, insisting that Buhari may have an agenda behind his appointment.
Mamman Daura’s alledged role in President Buhari’s cabinet But investigation also indicates that there are powers behind remote controlling the president. Hence, some Nigerians have fingered his nephew, Mamman Daura, as the man behind many decisions being taken by President Buhari. Daura, it was gathered, is the power behind the throne in the affairs of Nigeria. He is said to be so powerful and influential more than anyone else in the running of the Nigerian state. The nephew-uncle relationship is said to be too close that Buhari cannot do anything without his consent and approval. Their closeness is said to have dated back to their childhood days, though Daura is two and a half years older than Buhari. Daura is said to be wielding near absolute power and authority in the Buhari’s administration, hence the president seems tied to the apron string of Daura as he cannot take any decision without his knowledge. It was learned that when Buhari overthrew the Shagari administration in 1983, Daura was one of the few people Buhari trusted to give principal advisory roles. If there is anyone Buhari listens to and confided in over the years it is Mamman Daura. Many have seen the intimacy to be too close as to affect the decision of the President. An industrialist and former managing editor of the New Nigeria newspaper, Daura has been described as intensely engaging, intelligent and brilliant. But sources within the Presidential Villa are feeling uncomfortable and raising alarm that there is a dangerous power tussle within the camp of the president. Hence, when senate president, Bukola Saraki, raised the alarm that there is a government within Buhari’s government, he knew what he meant. The Aso Rock sources claim that Daura has cornered everything and has blocked access to the president. Even some of the most loyal supporters of the president and some of the president’s family members are very bitter as to how Daura cut off everyone else from the president. It was learnt that the education minister reportedly got the appointment because of Daura’s approval and nomination. They say that many appointments in Buhari’s cabinet were heavily influenced by Daura. They alleged that if a prospective appointee is not in Daura’s good books, he can as well forget seeing the president or even getting any appointment or approval from the presidential villa. Hence, they argue that the appointments being made by Buhari which favours mostly the North is the handiwork of Mamman Daura.
Naij.com
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