By Daniel Kanu, Ayo Bada, Ishaya Ibrahim and Henry Oduah
Nepotism by anyone in public office, particularly the president, is dangerous, more so in a Nigeria of 350 ethnic groups who have never really blended into a nation since the amalgamation of the North and South in 1914.
This sums up the views of those who criticised President Muhammadu Buhari for planting his relatives in the centre of power in Aso Rock to devise policy for the entire populace, as reported by TheNiche on June 26.
Some reacted in anger, some in disappointment, and some in disbelief.
Some, however, argued that the president can appoint whomever he feels can do the job, provided the appointee is capable.
The first salvo was fired by Junaid Mohammed, a Russian trained medical doctor and Second Republic lawmaker, who accused Buhari of appointing at least seven relatives in strategic positions in the Villa, besides making Northerners the heads of all paramilitary agencies.
“He (Junaid) has a right to his opinion,” wrote Buhari’s Media Adviser, Femi Adesina, in a text message to TheNiche in reply to a request for his comment on the matter.
Information Minister, Lai Mohammed; and Buhari’s Media Assistant, Garba Shehu; both did not answer calls to their telephone lines or reply to text messages.
Other Nigerians are, however, forthright in their views, as expressed below:
Balarabe Musa (former Kaduna State governor)
“If it is true, it is not right. If it is true, it is dangerous in terms of national unity. But I have to find out if it is true.”
Dozie Ikedife (former Ohanaeze Ndigbo president general)
“In choosing your personal or close staff, you go for those that you can trust, those who will watch your back.
“Those who cook his food, polish his shoes, and take care of what he puts on; those who are taking care of his inner concerns or personal issues must be those he must trust with his life, and I have no problem with that, I mean choosing his relations.”
“But allowing his appointments to be lopsided and denying people what is also due to them is part of corruption and I condemn it.
“Look for instance the NNPC (Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation) issue. We have not less than two oil producing states in the South East, [yet] you removed Ibe Kachikwu [as NNPC group managing director] and appointed another Northerner [in his place].
“Is Buhari saying that there are no capable people from Igboland that could be accommodated for replacement?”
Shettima Yerima (Arewa Youth Consultative Forum leader)
“Before Junaid said this, I was the first to raise the alarm. I said appointments in this government are lopsided. This act alone has portrayed the government to be corrupt.
“Let us not be too sentimental. The president is not the president of his family. He is the president of Nigeria, and every section of the country has the right to be given appointments.
“He is not the president of only the North. He is the president of the country called Nigeria. No matter how he feels about moving the country forward, he must consider not only his family, and not only people from the North.
“With this act, he has already compromised the unity of our country. You cannot say the unity of the nation is non-negotiable, and then you are treating other parts of the country as second class citizens.
“Even within the Northern context, a lot of people are marginalised. If at this level the youth who are more than 60 per cent of those who worked to put him there are not considered, it means something is wrong.
“The South South people have formed an organisation that they want to go on their own. MASSOB is talking. The Fulani is one problem we have. The Boko Haram issue is not over yet.
“There is crisis all over the land. We can’t move the country forward with this crisis.
“Buhari should not see himself as the alpha and omega of fixing Nigeria’s problems. And he should not see himself as the most patriotic Nigerian. It’s a team work. And a team must work together to move the country forward.”
Monday Ubani (former Nigerian Bar Association chairman, Ikeja branch)
“I am not too sure of the fact. If they are related to him (Buhari) by blood, then the president has to be a bit sensitive because Nigeria is too big.
“I heard the president clearly when he said Nigeria’s unity is non-negotiable. What will cement the unity of this country is when every ethnic group is carried along, when every tribe is involved in governance.
“If every tribe is involved in governance, it will make them feel that Nigeria belongs to all of us.
“If I become the governor of Abia State tomorrow by the grace of God, I will be very careful in appointing my relations into government, because the state is so big to have only one family having seven members in strategic positions.”
Femi Falana (human rights lawyer)
“I don’t engage in intra-class feud over sharing of positions by ethnic factions of the backward ruling class. Have these appointments improved the living conditions of the masses in the North?
“When [former President Goodluck] Jonathan chose the army chief, naval chief, IGP, DG SSS, et cetera, from the South, were the Southern masses favoured?
“Why is Buhari not criticised for not appointing poor and disadvantaged people from the North, including women, physically challenged persons, beggars, internally displaced people, young and unemployed persons?
“[Former President Olusegun] Obasanjo ruled the country for eight years. Jonathan was in power for over five years. Apart from enriching a few Southern business tycoons, were the Southern masses not pauperised?
“[Former Lagos State Governor, Babatunde] Fashola is holding three ministerial positions. What advantage have the ministries conferred on Yoruba people?
“Let the debate be on job creation, poverty abolition, access to education, health, good roads, regular electricity supply and efficient service delivery.
“Which ethnic or religious group has not been represented in the mega looting of the treasury?”
“All the same, I have challenged those who are interested in the subject to seek to enforce Section 4 of the Federal Character Commission Act. That is the body empowered to correct the seeming lopsidedness.
“It may interest you to know that the NNPC Act provides for a six-member board while the president has appointed nine members. And the appointment shall be made by the Federal Executive Council and not by the president! See Section 2 of NNPC Act.”
Deji Elumoye (Nigeria Union of Journalists, Lagos Council chairman)
“We need to be very careful about this issue. Can we really prove that the allegation is true? Am not too sure if the allegation is true.
“Personally, if the appointments are on merit, there is nothing bad in that. If the appointees really merit it, so be it. Some of the appointees must have the pedigree of being sound and of unquestionable character.
“And anyway, it is normal in every set up. You cannot expect someone appointing his enemies in official capacity. I know of two of them that have been with him since the last 30 years or so and he must have had a good knowledge of them before the appointment.
“But if there is enough proof or evidence to show that most of those he has appointed are his relatives or close pals, then it is bad and it should be condemned.
“I will clamour for such people’s sack because it is not good for the development of the country.
“I need to be fair, objective and be on the part of truth as a journalist.”
Sesan Olanrewaju (former Somolu Council chairman and transport adviser to former Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola)
“We are in a precarious situation and what we should be after now is the result. We should not allow issues like this to distract us from achieving the set goals.
“Let us look at the good things PMB is doing and allow him to face the challenges ahead of him. We should not give him room to give us excuses why he has not been able to achieve the set goals.
“He just completed his first year, let us continue to monitor him and see the results of the change he promised.
“Constitutionally, it is wrong but we should not allow that to deter us from helping the government to achieve results, good results for that matter.”
Debo Adeniran (Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders executive chairman)
“Where the appointees come from is not what matters but what they are capable of doing. We have had experiences in the past where people just got into offices with the view to enrich their own pockets.
“What we want is quality people and if those are the people he is sure that he can work with, those who will not squander the resources of the country, I don’t see anything wrong in that. I think the appointment has been fair enough.
“The statutory appointment which is supposed to be spread over the 36 states is the appointment of ministers. I think he has satisfied that. But when it concerns his personal security he doesn’t have to observe federal character.
“The president can only be faulted if his appointees fail to live up to expectations.”
Fred Agbaje (constitutional lawyer and human rights activist)
“Appointment should be based on merit. I don’t believe in this idea of federal character of a thing because it tends to promote mediocrity as against meritocracy.
“If the president appoints anybody whom he knows is capable to do the job, I have no quarrel with that.
“That is the personal opinion of Junaid Mohammed. If you are the president today, won’t you appoint your father if he is qualified?”