Using Kogi State affairs to illustrate President Buhari’s family appointments

Shaibu Stephen Ojate

By Shaibu Stephen Ojate

The long awaited President Buhari’s Saints and Angels have been unveiled with the recent appointments of persons as Secretary of the Federation, Chief of Staff and host of others. These officials shall form Buhari’s Presidential Caucus and would be directly involved in the day to day running of the administration at the Vila.

It is no doubt to all that these announcements had received mix feeling by cross sections of Nigerians. Many believed that region like South-South, South-East and South-West people have been schemed out in the appointments so far. Recall that North got not less than 40 slot of the appointees, South South 4, South East 0, and South West 2.

Those who frowned at the appointments made by President Buhari contented that the current lopsidedness is not healthy for a country called Nigeria with diverse ethnic groups.  People who held this view noted that carrying everybody along in political appointments would go a long way to mend fences of discourse caused by ethnic sentiments in the time past. They added that doing so will make every ethnic group in Nigeria to be seen as equal player in the affairs of the Nation. Also, the unity of Nigeria would be better enhanced when major political appointments are equitably shared.

They buttressed that even if the lopsidedness had been the practise in the time past, President Buhari ought not to follow suit as he came to power on the basis of “change mantra” and had promised Nigerians to make a difference.

As the debate lingered, President Buhari’s Spokesman and some of his Admirers came out to defend him saying “the appointments were purely done on the basis of merit and competence”. They hinted that the President of Nigeria has prerogative power to nominate whoever he likes into his cabinet even all happened to be his family members or Town’s men.

Following the divergent views as expressed by cross section of Nigerians on the appointments so far, this prompts me to put this write-up with a view to share my thought on the current political debate.

I must start by saying that those who openly and publicly supported President Buhari on his political appointment lopsidedness are enemies of Nigeria. They are those who do not wish the co-existence of the country and one Nigeria. How would a man who professed to be good Leader doesn’t know the benefits of having balancing political appointments?

 Are they telling me that Hausas and Fulanis who presently constituted chunk of Buhari’s appointees are the most straight forward Nigerians? Can President Buhari tell me that he cannot comfortably work with people of other ethnic extraction other than his region? If that is so, there is something wrong with President Buhari as a person.

My stance on this is stem on the system of government we practised. I want to remind my readers that Nigeria as a country practise federal system of government and not monarchical or feudal system where only cliques of people or family members ruled.  The federal system of government is operated in a country with heterogeneous culture and multi-ethnic set-up. So, the cries for foul play in President Buhari’s political appointments by some ethnic groups in Nigeria are in order. A good leader in a country operating federal system of government must be ready to carry everybody along and not using his power to favour only the region he hails from.

On the assertion of some school of thoughts maintaining that President Buhari nominating people mainly from his ethnic group people do not matter as what Nigerians need is good governance and development.  I want to correct the wrong impression here. This style of appointment does not bring good governance and development as Buhari’s admirers made Nigerians to believe.

For my readers to understand me better, i will use similar scenario in Kogi State to illustrate my saying. Kogi State is a peculiar area where political lopsidedness is always in the offing. The State had produced three different Governors and these past Leaders have peculiar nature. The Governors always make sure that the juicy positions like Chief of Staff, Auditor General, Accountant General of the State, Chairman of Traditional Council, Commissioner of Work, Head of Service, permanent Secretary of the State house, Clerk of the House and host of others are mostly persons from their ethnic group.

The Igallas in Kogi State over dominated many things to the extent that no other ethnic group can raise an eye brow wherever they are.  Political observers would agree with me that the high concentration of political appointees in Kogi Governor’s domain has not in any way brought about good governance and development to the State in general just like how President Buhari’s Supporters had been making Nigerians to believe. Rather, what we observed in Kogi State are financial recklessness, nepotism and hate orchestrated by political lopsidedness in the State.

The political lopsidedness was responsible for uneven-development in Kogi State.  Today, no contractors of other ethnic group are given contract other than Igalla person. To this effect, the majority of the Contractors see the State affairs as family things and that account to nonchalant attitude to project execution leading to abandonment of projects across the State. Even where projects are executed and commissioned, they are mostly found in Eastern axis of the State that produced the Governor and also privileged of having high number of political appointees.

The political lopsidedness has not helped the State in any way, thus what we experienced is that it sows seed of discourse in the mind of average people of the State. Due to high concentration of appointees in Eastern senatorial district, an average Igalla person today sees other ethnic groups as second class citizens.  The lopsidedness in the political appointments in the State also caused an imbalance in the State Civil Service in which 75% of the State Civil Servants go to Eastern axis while other Senatorial Districts share the remainder.

On what i have explained above, the over concentration of political appointments in a single area breed hate and causes discontentment among the groups that constitute the State or the Nation.    I must therefore say that if that is what President Buhari is trying to play out, he should be advised to make a change as he is tolling along wrong path.

I want to educate my readers that selective appointment as currently adopted by President Buhari is corruption. Stealing fund alone is not only corruption as President Buhari has been making Nigerians to see things in the country. Any activities a Leader engages in that caused discontentment among the inhabitants of an area is corruption which today President Buhari cannot be exclude himself off.

In conclusion, for Nigeria to get better, my believe is that every tribes or ethnic groups must be carried along in the affairs of the Nation as what we stance to gain therein are more than having selective appointees motivated by ethnic and tribal sentiment. The President cannot create a new Nigeria that will be pride of all when every ethnic group are not actively engaged in the activities of the Nation. President Buhari should therefore borrow leaves from United State of America.

The United State of America’s strength did not come as a result of support of the present and past US President Town’s or Kinsmen which they believed and confided in. The present and past US Leader of the United State of America recognised the power of heterogeneous group and they have been making use of people irrespective of their tribe or heritage.  This accounts for the reasons why the United State of America is touted and regarded as the most powerful nation on Earth.

So, if President Buhari plans to make Nigeria better, he should explore and respect the potentials in people from other area other than his kinsmen.

Shaibu Stephen Ojate is a Journalist, Public affairs commentator and the Managing Editor of an International Online Newspaper (EAGLE REPORTERS) writes from Abuja. He is reachable on 08052666344 or 08102658380. He is on facebook in case readers want to follow him.