Mixed reactions have continued to trail the recent appointments of key public officers by President Muhammadu Buhari with some commentators and analysts insisting the appointments were skewed in favour of the North and clearly violate the Federal Character principles as enshrined in the nation’s constitution . Others believed that the President was fair in making the appointments, stressing that it was his prerogative to choose his personal aides or those he has confidence in . Chukwudi Amarachi, Onuorah Helen and Nweze Rose spoke to a cross section of Nigerians on the vexed issue. Excerpts:
KELECHUKWU IRUOMA, a businessman said “it shows that Buhari’s administration is not democratic and also lacks the principle of federal character. He has forgotten that the country he is heading as the president is constituted by many groups (majority and minority) and his actions in terms of appointment could bring enmity between various groups and perhaps caused lack. If you look at the appointments, you would agree with me that appointed from the North are retired generals and soldiers. Is he trying to say that military men are not corrupt?
Again, it is appalling that no one from the South East has been appointed yet and it is quite apparent that some of the resources of Nigeria are coming from the region. Because of this the Igbo’s have started agitating for Biafra again. Why should they not?, when they are taken as aliens in a country where they belong. Buhari should make a drastic change in subsequent appointments in order to avoid problems from the South”
EKEIGWE OBINNA PRAISE a Psychologist/Counselor commentator said: “he is not flaunting any constitutional right; he has to put someone there and has to be someone he trusts. And if he appoints from the North, it’s not a problem. He has not picked more than one person from a state, so its not a regional thing per say in the scene of picking from one state. He still has about 5000 more appointees to make and he can’t pick them all from the north, its not possible. After all, it has to favour the northerners since it’s their brother in the office (Buhari). Even picking from there, he has also achieved his primary goal of giving security and stability to the economy; he has also stabilized electricity in many areas plus the reduction of fuel price.”
EZE CHUKWUDERA CHRISTIAN, a Journalist also contributed by saying “the President is contradicting himself. In his acceptance speech he said he is for everybody and for nobody but in one of his visits to America, he made it clear that those who gave him 97per cent votes cannot have the same thing with those who gave him 5% votes. There by contradicting the law. What he is doing now is a revenge government no more a democratic one.
He is taking the law into his hands because the international charter is against his motive. I will not call it action because there are other seats that has not been declared, we don’t know his plans until he executes it, we call it “action” even if he didn’t put PDP there, what about APC members who are Igbo’s, that means they are affected. Those people that worked for him have been forgotten probably they are the ones tagged corrupt leaders. My dear it is well, this is all I have to say for now”.
HON. OKPE CHIBUIKE DAVID expressed his feelings about the appointment by saying “note that, there is n o appointment to any political office that will settle the necessary satisfaction. However, it is expected the perceived ‘north-north’ leadership as preached by the Westerner and East alike. You would agree with me that many eyebrows will be raised if a Westerner or Easterner was inclusive in that list. Looking through the eyes of the president, I would say he was looking up to efficiency, but the question pops up again, are there no competent and efficient Westerner or Easterner? I would say at this junction that the president would have been fair, making a political appointment as such cutting across the three strata, that’s equity for me.
But then it is high time Nigerians looked beyond ethnic rotation and representation and focus on the man that can bring the desired improvement and development, irrespective of his/ her cultural attachment. For a developing country as Nigeria, still in her tender democracy, such appointments were rather ‘inciteful’ thus, the reaction of course an average Igbo man would frown to the idea of a Northerner ruling, same of the other tribes.
Hence for now, Nigerians need a government that can in the abundance of her leadership skills carry the entire ethnic diversity, be it majority or minority, that not withstanding, we are joining our hopes with that of the presidency expecting the promised change, when that feat is visibly reached, believe me, no man will border which ethnic group gets what”.
ANONYMOUS said “president Buhari’s style of divisional leadership is gradually justifying my reasons for not voting for him. I am not surprised by recent developments in federal appointments because General Muhammadu Buhari was part of the history I studied, he has always believed that he and his northern brothers have the monopoly of everything. He believes that there are no credible persons in the south. His allegiance to ethnicism has also been witnessed in his selective stalling and perhaps suspending major Federal government projects in the south, particularly the second Niger Bridge all in the name of probe.
If you really need to have a clear understanding of Buhari, read General Babangida’s address after over throwing Buhari in 1985. So I don’t expect much difference from President Muhammadu Buhari, after all. It’s just a little change from General to President. The individual remains the same.
In the same vein, INNOCENT AGHANTI contributed by saying “the current government is not running an inclusive government; like we the Igbo’s are being neglected we are not being recognized by the incumbent president. I think I will attribute that to the fact that the Eastern Nigeria failed to support Buhari. The thing is that all Nigerians clamored for change and that is what we are seeing now, so nobody should complain”.
IGIRI ISRAEL, a student has this to say “this is indeed Tribalism, as the north is more favoured than others. This is a breach on the federal character principle as equity continues to remain a dream in the appointment of ministers. I really feel sad because other tribes have not been represented properly. This is not a good way for Buhari to start; he ought not to be sentimental in appointing ministers. Nigeria is not only for the North, it belongs to everyone. Buhari should have a rethink. He should ensure that the federal character principle is guaranteed if he wants change to happen”.
MRS IJEOMA UGORJI, a lecturer commented by saying “my opinion is that the south had 6 years to impact the nation but they failed. We do know that President Muhammadu Buhari is keen on appointing anti-corruption officers. All we want is result. Federal character has not helped us as a nation”.
MBAH CASMIR, has this to say,”yes, the north is more favoured than the west, but we should not dismiss the fact that the President needs people ha can work with, people he can trust. If he appoints people from the various parts of Nigeria and not perform, which one will be better? I am not saying he is making the best decision or those people are the only people he can trust but I am saying lets give him time. Just like time told on the former president, time will also tell on him, lets just believe him for now and hope he will do better than the previous administration.
Religion and ethnic sentiments should be put aside, lets just allow him work. The former president worked with all the tribes and ethnic groups in the country and still did not perform as we expected but became a shame to all the people in the south. He did practically nothing for the south but focused on the north and now we have a northerner and he is choosing the people he thinks he can cope with, lets allow him. His democracy and the federal character we are all shouting about wont help solve the problem of Nigeria. All I’m saying is that we should give president Buhari time before we judge him.
HON. CHIAZOH CHUKWUEMEKA PATRICK in a telephone interview said “my stand is that if it requires only competent northerners to change Nigeria, it is fine by me, but what the southerners are suffering especially south east is our entire fault. During election they were carrying hate campaign against Buhari, that he is a dictator, a murderer and religious bigot, so why would you expect that same person to you key appointments, and also in politics there is what is called centralizaton of power.
APC has more power in the north and south west. Initially APC zoned senate presidency to the east but unfortunately the easterners never voted in any APC senator so we lost that slot. APC as a party has been trying its best to accommodate every tribe, even recently they have gone further to pacify the south east in collaboration with the office of the presidency. Everything the south especially south east is suffering now, is all our fault. We have to lick our wounds. Buhari would still give us appointment but for now we are still on punishment for the sins we committed during election”.
A respondent and president of Youth Empowerment Foundation said; “ I feel that the Igbo’s have been marginalized ,we feel we have bee hated by the Hausas from timely memorial therefore am not surprised and I think if something is not done fast our fragile country unity might be sacrificed on the alter of selfishness and tribalism.”
ENGR EJIKE CELESTINE said; I think Buhari has not been fair in his latest appointment so far. he has shown how sectional he is in his latest appointment but we Nigerians have to deal with his sectionalism for the next four years, Buhari has ignored the fact that Nigerian is a multi-ethnic nation. Does sect 14 of our constitution still operate or has it been expunged? Section 14 upholds the federal character principle that made Nigeria to remain indivisible and peaceful.
The lopsided appointment of Buhari portrays him as a caliphate fanatic. The south-east has totally been left out of his appointment so far will not want to subscribe to the alleged statement he made in America when he visited the country that those who gave him 95 percent should expect 5 percent. But his action would better be judged. The president is deliberately pursuing northernalisation policy of alienating Nigerians’ two other powerful regions south-east and south-west. Even the chairman of northern elder’s council Ahaji Tanko Yakassi was critical of BUHARI’S appointment so far, saying that the distribution shows that he is favoring his section of the country. I believe that the awful trend can still be corrected before it disintegrates.
Hon Iwuchukwu Samuel said; To be candid, he is out of tune in social reality that the president who promised to uphold the principle of federal character (that is; I belong to everybody, I belong to nobody) is now favoring one region/ethnic group against the other. In all his appointments Igbo’s are marginalized. This goes to show that he is a tribalistic leader.
Engr Obinna Onuorah said;I believe he is going to change this country for good, can’t you see that Nigeria is changing in the sense of corrupt organization and steady electricity.
A respondent Mr. Chuks a student said; it depends on what it s fair. If the appointment will take the country forward then it is a fair decision and should be allowed. The new Nigeria we seek is not all about tribal or religious afflictions but people with characters and knowledge to work in their respective, positions.
Mr stanley makolu a student said; I think there is nepotism in the appointment. The president should not neglect the fact that Nigeria has people with reputable mind to handle the seat than putting people who are not suppose to be there. If he appoints by sentiments that means his word which he stated ‘’i am for no one but for everyone” but he did not keep to his word. So therefore I think it is better to avoid racism or division or limit. For when you look at it in a broad sense it relates to the word “confront zone” just like trying to make a difference but still at the same spot with the same people with the same idea.
Onuorah Victor a student said; hmmm…., it is not fair at all, and with so many reasons. It is very clear that the eastern (that is the Igbo’s) and south-south are out of the whole senior appointments. We are all surprised that even the Secretary to the Federal Government is not given to the Igbo’s. The only position held by Delta state is the managing director of NNPC. No appointment was given to Ndigbo.
Barr Innocent Ahbu said; the president has not done anything wrong, that he is not marginalized at all. For every appointment he has done he did it for the betterment of Nigerians. He appointed the people he can go along with very well and the people that he thinks are trust worthy.
Mr Anija Haustin said; the President’s appointment is not good at all. He was one sided in his appointment. Meanwhile it is not only the people from northern part of Nigeria that elected him as president, he was elected by the whole people of Nigeria.
MRS PHILOMINA OKAFOR said; president Buhari is not fair because it looks like his appointment is based on sentiment which sided to the north. A democratic government is known to have his ministers that will carry its nation extension activities.
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