Icheoku recalls when in 2011 then candidate Muhammadu Buhari was prancing around that he won the presidential election because he won the North but was admonished by then Niger State Governor Aliyu Babangida that the North alone does not constitute the entire Nigeria; and that the fact that he won the North does not necessarily mean that he won the election. Further, way back in 1985 when the same Muhammadu Buhari violently overthrew President Shehu Shagari's government (Major General Bako was killed at Aguda House where he went to arrest Shagari); the now President Muhammadu Buhari saturated his Supreme Military Council as well as other cabinet and principal staff positions with majority Northerners. A pattern or habit or character of a an arch tribalist, you decide.
However during the last presidential election campaign, Muhammadu Buhari gave out some flicker of hope of being a changed man, a converted democrat, especially to doubters including Icheoku, when he repeatedly assured and reassured that he is not bigoted nor fanatical. That if he wins the election, he will be president to all and every Nigerian; an assurance he has severally repeated since being inaugurated president of Nigeria on May 29, 2015. But to the chagrin of many, the feelers coming out of his Aso Rock so far seems to suggest otherwise and that an old dog cannot be taught new tricks. The prognosis is that the old man Buhari has not changed; as he has once again gone gun-ho North; totally recoiling to his tribal base as if they are the only ones that matter now and who should be primarily catered to? His appointments so far seems to indicate that he has zero trust on any other Nigerian who is not of Hausa/Fulani stork, particularly those of them from the core Northwest. That the Ota Deity, Baba Iyabo Olusegun Obasanjo has not yet fired one of his 'satanic verses' letter to PMB, horn-mad at this crass display of cronyism and nepotism befuddles Icheoku. Also that the ugly Oby Ezekwesili has not yet opened her wide mouth to condemn this development is shocking; needless to add the chill caused by the taciturnity of those 'Bring Back Their Girls' feminist crusaders who are now being appointed to positions in government and you wonder if their job is done since the staged kidnapped Chibok girls are still not home with their parents?
Less than forty eight hours ago, he summarily sacked the director general of State Security Service Ita Ekpenyong and in his place appointed a man from his own very village, Lawal Musa Daura, to run the service. We are not talking about North or Northwest or Katsina State but a man from the same Daura as the president and Icheoku asks is this cronyism, nepotism, 'umunnaism' or what? Yet none of those fair weather watch dogs by choice, the police men and women of governments in Nigeria is raising any eyebrow over this developing trend of crass nepotism. Then add other appointments he has made since he started making appointments and you wonder if he is unaware that there are other people who constitute Nigerians other than Hausa/Fulanis? The new INEC chairwoman Amina Zakari is from Jigawa State and a distant blood relative of PMB, from the same Northwest; head of Department of Petroleum Resources Mordecai Dantean Baba Ladan is from Kano State, also Northwest; Accountant General of the Federation Ahmed Idris is also from Kano State, the same Northwest; Chief Security Officer Abdulrahman Mani; State Chief of Protocol Lawal Adbullahi Kazaure also from Bauchi; his ADC Lt Col Mohammed Laval Abubakar is from Kano State, the same Northwest; acting director of general security and prospective National Security Adviser Abdulrahman Bello Dambazzau is also from Kano State, the same Northwest; Special Senior Assistant Media and Publicity Garba Shehu is from Adamawa State and then acting Chief of Staff Hamid Ali; all are Northerners! Needless to add insult to injury that the president, senate president and the speaker of the House of Representatives are all Northerners too.
Icheoku says how else can anyone spin this trajectory of behavior not to confirm that the man President Muhammadu Buhari does not trust or consider any other Nigerian worth of his inner circle? Regrettably, if this trend continues as is most likely to, because Muhammadu Buhari once personally confessed to Olusegun Obasanjo that he does not have many friends from the South who he can trust, then Nigeria is in for a rude shock and convulsive awakening. This is a man who said he will be and is president of all; yet is so far acting like his understanding or idea of Nigerians are only those his Hausa/Fulani Nigerians of the core North? But hey, Icheoku raised the alarm when it could have mattered but those Buharists in Nigeria, both North and South, turned deaf ears to the cry to beware. Therefore, may PMB continue to visit Nigerians with whatever his parochial inclination tells him is right and good for ONLY his Hausa/Fulani people of Northwestern Nigeria; whose turn it is anyway to party like it is 1999. Like the man from Otuoke, Icheoku does not give a darn about whatever PMB decides to do with Nigerians, especially those from other tribes who voted for him anyway and against their own very interest, and as he sees and deems fit. Little wonder he has been crawling through governance so that he can craftily and quickly implement all his immediate Miyetti Allah agenda before Nigerians wake up from their stupor. Anyway, by this, Icheoku is merely laying out the facts and for the records, that's all. So goodluck Nigerians with your PMB.
Icheoku says how else can anyone spin this trajectory of behavior not to confirm that the man President Muhammadu Buhari does not trust or consider any other Nigerian worth of his inner circle? Regrettably, if this trend continues as is most likely to, because Muhammadu Buhari once personally confessed to Olusegun Obasanjo that he does not have many friends from the South who he can trust, then Nigeria is in for a rude shock and convulsive awakening. This is a man who said he will be and is president of all; yet is so far acting like his understanding or idea of Nigerians are only those his Hausa/Fulani Nigerians of the core North? But hey, Icheoku raised the alarm when it could have mattered but those Buharists in Nigeria, both North and South, turned deaf ears to the cry to beware. Therefore, may PMB continue to visit Nigerians with whatever his parochial inclination tells him is right and good for ONLY his Hausa/Fulani people of Northwestern Nigeria; whose turn it is anyway to party like it is 1999. Like the man from Otuoke, Icheoku does not give a darn about whatever PMB decides to do with Nigerians, especially those from other tribes who voted for him anyway and against their own very interest, and as he sees and deems fit. Little wonder he has been crawling through governance so that he can craftily and quickly implement all his immediate Miyetti Allah agenda before Nigerians wake up from their stupor. Anyway, by this, Icheoku is merely laying out the facts and for the records, that's all. So goodluck Nigerians with your PMB.
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Christy 'Apena' Essien-Igbokwe , the wife of Jegede Shokoya of the New Masquerade and Nigeria's lady of songs is dead; she was 51years old. Although her family claimed that "brief Illness" killed her like so many Nigerians; Icheoku retorts that it was most likely AKwa Ibom voodoo and remote control that was used to arrest her. It is on record that she had fallen out with the governor of her native Akwa Ibiom State and have been having a relentless war for political turf with the governor? So who knows whether she was sacrificed to Ekpe cult or even Alusi-Okija as an offal; afterall African science is still very much alive and portent. May her soul rest in peace.
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PMB Is Running A Northern Government - Southern Groups - Jerrywright Ukwu
ReplyDeleteProminent groups in the South east and South west of Nigeria have been raising eyebrows over what they all described as the lopsided appointments of President Muhmammadu Buhari so far, which seem to favour the Northern parts of the country.
In the South west, the groups that have expressed their worry so far are the Afenifere, Yoruba Unity Forum (YUF) and the Movement for Oodua Republic (MOR), while in the South east, the groups that have spoken out so far are Ohaneze Ndigbo, The Igbo World Union, Njiko Igbo Group and the Ohaneze Youth Council (OYC).
They affirmed that this kind of lopsided appointments had never happened in the political history of the country.
The YUF Secretary-General, Senator Anthony Adefuye, warned that the earlier the situation was reversed, the better, so as not to give the impression that the North is marginalising the South.
READ ALSO: Buhari May Be Intimidated To Say All He Is Doing
He said, “The fact that the President, Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives are from the North is worrisome. There is no way the North can take all the principal offices and leave the deputy to us. It has never happened before and the earlier it is reverted, the better.
“There is no way that can continue because the South is not subordinate to the North. The think tank committee of the YUF will meet soon to look at the issue and see how it affects the Yoruba people. However, the development is a wrong signal that must be corrected.
“What is more worrisome is that the immediate past INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, handed over to a Southerner but the Presidency changed it to a Northerner. We are watching and waiting to see what comes out of this new government.”
“Southerners are always careful and concerned not to marginalise the North. Therefore, I will not expect the North to marginalise the South now that the Presidency is shifted to the region.”
On his own part, the National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin, said the group was closely monitoring Buhari’s actions and taking note of them.
He told Punch, “We have taken a position in Afenifere to watch the President’s actions before we begin to make comments. By the time we have a clearer picture of what is happening in the first 100 days of the President in office, we are certainly going to make a comprehensive statement.”
George Akinola, leader of MOR, warned that Nigeria is heading towards total conflict should the situation continue.
ReplyDeleteAccording to him, “The country has already been divided along religious lines. The fault lines are there and will always be there. This will continue until a time when one way or the other a conference or a referendum happens. There is no option that is not on the table but at least we will prefer the path of peace.”
Meanwhile, the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Gary Enwo-Igariwey, adviced Buhari to respect the principle of federal character when making appointments.
He said, “We expect the President to recognise other nationalities that make up Nigeria. Elections are over, it is time for governance. We expect that the principle of federal character, which is constitutional, should be respected.
“It is important that in making his appointments, the President should recognise that there are six geo-political zones in the country and it is imperative that he carries all of them along in the spirit of nation building and as a statesman.”
The Igbo World Union and the Ohanaeze Youth Council described the President’s actions as a threat to the corporate existence of Nigeria.
READ ALSO: Buhari Clears Controversy Over SSS DG Appointment, READ What He Is Now Saying
The OYC National President, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, said, “Buhari should not abuse his privileged position as the President of Nigeria for the moment. He should not forget our federal system but reflect the federal character in his appointments.
“We are warning him to drop the Northern agenda and govern Nigeria in line with the constitution which he sworn to protect. We will hold him by his statement that ‘he is for nobody and for everybody ‘ except he now wants to tell us that he is the President of the North alone.”
He continued,“Jonathan appointed Northerners as his National Security Adviser, Defence Minister, Inspector-General of Police, Chief of Defence Staff etc. But so far, Buhari has shown us that he has no regard for other parts of the country.”
In the same vein, the President-General of Igbo World Union, Dr. Mishak Nnanta, adviced Buhari not to give in to any ill- advice from individuals with parochial interest.
On his part, the National President of Njiko Igbo Forum, Reverend Okechukwu Obioha, warned the president against running what he described as a “Northern government.”
He said, “Buhari is simply running a Northern government. He is making his appointments as if he is angry with other sections of the country. The appointments are lopsided in favour of the North and that is not acceptable.”
President Buhari has so far appointed 9 individuals into different positions since assuming office, 8 out of the 9 appointees are from the northern part of the country.
Igbo youths question Buhari’s manner of appointment - UGOCHUKWU ALARIBE, Aba
ReplyDeleteThe Youth wing of Ohanaeze Ndigbo has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to carry every section of the country along in making appointments to positions in his administration.
The group which operates under the aegis of Ohanaeze Youth Council, OYC, said it is peeved by what it described as some sectional appointments so far made by the President, stressing that appointments should be spread among the six geo- political zones of the country.
In a statement signed by the National President of OYC, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, the group further said it is against the principle of federalism for the President to have so far appointed people from only one part of the country.
“We are worried at the manner of appointment s so far made by President Muhammadu Buhari which has so far been concentrated in the North West zone, except for the Special Adviser on Media. We wish to remind our President that there are well qualified and trustworthy Nigerians in every geo political zone. We hope President Buhari is not acting out a script.
The earlier he allays fears of other Nigerians about the manner of appointments, the better for the nation. Ohanaeze Youths recall that the concentration of appointments in one political zone has always caused trouble in Nigeria. We want President Buhari to live by his words that he belongs to everybody,” the youths said.
OYC also condemned the relocation of Boko Haram detainees to Aguata Prisons in Anambra state which it said, does not have the capacity and facilities to keep such high profile detainees and urged the federal government to relocate the detainees from the prison or upgrade its facilities.
Like someone said he's the president of the North
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