Alleged lopsided appointments: ‘North watching, not in a hurry’ – Shettima

The National President of Arewa Youths Consultative Forum, AYCF, Yerima Shettima has said it is too early to accuse President Bola Tinubu of engaging in lopsided appointments.

Shettima, who spoke to Newsmen amid concerns being raised, especially from the North, said the region was keenly watching the developments.

Like ex-president Muhammadu Buhari, Tinubu’s appointments are generating mixed feelings.

The Arewa Economic Forum, AEF, is already accusing the President of filling key positions in his administration with people from the Southwest.

AEF Chairman, Alhaji Ibrahim Dandakata, said the North, which remarkably contributed to the emergence of Tinubu as president, was being edged out of key appointments, especially in the finance and ICT sectors, which remained crucial for economic development.

Dandakata accused Tinubu of a deliberate attempt at “Yorubanisation and Lagoslisation” of the polity.

He, therefore, urged Tinubu to be fair, just and equitable in his decisions “not only because the northerners overwhelmingly voted for him but because that is the right thing to do.”

The AEF chairman also alleged that chief executives of some key public institutions, who were northerners, were gradually being replaced with Lagosians, and expressed worry that the trend might continue moving forward.

Nigerians raised the same allegation during the immediate past administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

In June 2020, some Southern leaders dragged former President Muhammadu Buhari before the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court over alleged marginalisation in appointments made by his administration since 2015.

According to them, the Buhari-led administration, especially the composition of the security and quasi-security architecture, does not reflect the Federal Character of Nigeria, but rather there is a predominance of persons from a few states and sectional groups dominating the opportunities and threatening national unity and integration.

Amid the then widespread condemnation, Buhari in 2015, in an interview with BBC Hausa, explained the reason behind his appointment, saying he nominates people he could trust and who had worked with him for years.

It was a different ball game during the government of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, whose appointments were believed to have represented all regions of the country.

On his part, former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s appointments were also seen not to be lopsided in nature.

Upon assumption of office in 1999, he appointed Chief Ufot Ekaete as the SGF and Major General Abdullahi Muhammed, (retd) as Chief of Staff; Gen. Aliyu Mohammed as the National Security Adviser, while Mr. Kayode Are was appointed the Director General of the Department of State Services, DSS.

Commenting on the criticisms trailing the appointments made so far by Tinubu, the AYCF president, Shettima, said: “It’s too early to conclude that appointments are lopsided or there is nepotism.

“He took over the government just three months ago, so naturally, every government has its own style, but what’s important before Nigerians is who are we picking? Are they competent? Can they give us what we want as a nation?

“Since we have tried nepotism over time and it didn’t work, can we try competency? I’m sure Tinubu has not made all the appointments, so let us not put the cart before the horse; let’s give him the benefit of the doubt and see how far he would go and after a while, we will respond accordingly.

“I’m not part of those who believe that they would just imagine things and assume that all is not well.

“As for the North not being favoured, we are watching at the moment, but we are not in a hurry to conclude that he is not doing anything good because I believe he has good intentions; until he proves otherwise then we will look for an alternative.

“But for now, let’s not be in a hurry because it’s still early. We didn’t get it exactly how we wanted it, and we didn’t expect it to be this way.

“We are not in a hurry; we Northerners don’t believe in propaganda or talking anyhow.

“We will give him the benefit of the doubt until he gives us reason to react, and then he will see us in full colour. Even if we can’t get our way now, there are elections ahead of us so we will decide before then.”