Posted by It is too early to accuse President Bola Tinubu of making biased appointments, according to Yerima Shettima, national president of the Arewa Youths Consultative Forum (AYCF).
Shettima told that the region was closely observing the developments in the wake of rising worries, particularly in the North.
Tinubu’s nominations have been met with ambivalence, much like those of ex-president Muhammadu Buhari.
The Arewa Economic Forum (AEF) has already begun to accuse the President of appointing too many people from the American Southwest to high-ranking positions in his government.
Alhaji Ibrahim Dandakata, chairman of the African Empowerment Forum (AEF), noted that despite the North’s remarkable contributions to Tinubu’s election, the region was being passed over for important positions, particularly in the banking and ICT sectors, which were still vital to economic growth.
Dandakata claimed that Tinubu was attempting to “Yorubanize” and “Lagosize” the government.
His advice to Tinubu was to make judgments that were fair, just, and equitable “not only because the northerners overwhelmingly voted for him but because that is the right thing to do.”
The AEF chairman also claimed that northerners running key public institutions were being replaced by Lagosians, and he voiced concern that this trend might continue.
When former President Muhammadu Buhari was in office, Nigerians made similar claims.
Some Southern leaders took former president Muhammadu Buhari to court in June 2020 over allegations of discrimination in government appointments made under his watch between 2015 and that year.
They argue that the opportunities are being dominated by a small number of states and sectional groups, which threatens national unity and integration, and that the Buhari administration does not reflect the Federal Character of Nigeria.
In an interview with BBC Hausa in 2015, Buhari defended his choice in the face of overwhelming criticism, claiming that he only chooses people he trusts and who have worked with him for a long time.
During the administration of former president Goodluck Jonathan, things were different because his appointees were thought to be broadly representative of the population.
Appointments made by former President Olusegun Obasanjo were also viewed as fair.
After taking office in 1999, he named Chief Ufot Ekaete as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Major General Abdullahi Muhammed, (ret.), as Chief of Staff, General Aliyu Mohammed as National Security Adviser, and Mr. Kayode Are as Director General of the Department of State Services, DSS.
The president of the AYCF, Shettima, responded to the backlash against Tinubu’s nominations so far by saying, “It’s too early to conclude that appointments are lopsided or there is nepotism.”
He has only been in office for three months, but it is already clear that his administration has its own unique approach to running the country. Can you trust them? Can we as a country get what we want from them?
We have tried favoritism and it hasn’t worked, so how about we try competence instead? Let’s give Tinubu the benefit of the doubt and see how far he would go, and then we’ll reply appropriately. I’m sure Tinubu hasn’t made all the appointments.
“I don’t count myself among those who think it’s possible to make up problems where none exist.
If he doesn’t show that he has good intentions, we won’t rush to the conclusion that he isn’t doing anything good for the North.
But for the time being, let’s take it easy because it’s still early. We weren’t anticipating that it would turn out this way, but we didn’t receive what we wanted.
We’re not in a rush, and Northerners aren’t big on chit-chat anyhow.
We’ll give him the benefit of the doubt until he does anything to warrant a response, at which point he’ll get the full color picture. There are upcoming elections, so even if we don’t succeed now, we will make a choice.