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Buhari’s lopsided appointments come under scrutiny as Reps commence probe

LOPSIDED appointments made by former President Muhammadu Buhari has come under scrutiny following a resolution passed by the House of Representatives on Tuesday, July 18.

The Reps, during plenary on Tuesday, resolved to probe the appointments made during Buhari’s eight years as Nigeria’s President.

A motion to probe Buhari’s appointments was moved by Labour Party (LP) member representing Enugu East/Isi Uzo Federal Constituency, Paul Nnamchi.


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The lawmaker, while moving the motion, also said the Federal Character Commission (FCC):should be proved for allegedly abdicating its constitutional responsibilities.

Noting that the federal character principle was included in Nigeria’s constitution to promote national cohesion and equal opportunities, he argued that there “exists a brazen domination” of bureaucratic, economic, media, and political positions by a section of the country.

“Twenty-four years after its constitutional entrenchment, the perception is that there exists brazen domination of the bureaucratic, economic, media, and political posts at all levels by a section of the country at the expense of the others,” Nnamchi said,

The lawmaker also claimed that there is a “clash of interests” among the commissioners at the commission.

“Federal Character Commission has virtually abdicated its constitutional and statutory responsibilities and degenerated into personality clash of interest among its commissioners as was the case about a year ago.”

The House of Representatives adopted the motion and subsequently set up an ad hoc committee to investigate “the returns on appointments undertaken by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) under its (FCC) jurisdiction between 2015–2023″.

The lawmakers also requested the Commission to submit a report of appointments in the MDAs between 2015 and 2023.

Buhari’s lopsided appointments 

During his tenure as President, Buhari was accused of favouritism and nepotism in federal appointments, but the former military head of state defended his actions.

In June 2020, a group of Southern leaders filed a lawsuit against Buhari in the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court. They alleged that Buhari’s administration had marginalised the Southern region of Nigeria in its appointments since 2015.

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The leaders argued that the composition of the government of the federation under Buhari, and most of its agencies, did not reflect the principle of federal character. They claimed that there was a predominance of persons from a few states and sectional groups dominating the opportunities in the government, a situation which they said threatened national unity and integration.

The lawsuit was filed by 16 Southern leaders, including Edwin Clark, Reuben Fasoranti, John Nnia Nwodo, and Pogu Bittus.

But in an interview with BBC Hausa in 2015, Buhari explained the reason behind his appointments, saying he nominated people he could trust, and who had worked with him for years.

He also said the constitution allows him complete control over his choice of close officials. Buhari also made it clear that the appointments also served as a reward for those who remained loyal to him for years.

A 2017 BusinessDay report titled “81 of Buhari’s 100 appointees are Northerners” showed that 81 of those appointed into key positions by Buhari either from the North-East, North-west or North-Central since he became President.

Buhari’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, in a response to the report, published a list, which suggested that 82 of the 157 appointments made by the President were from the South, and 75 from the North.

The presidential spokesman said the government’s list “put the lie” to the “mischievous” claims about Buhari’s appointments, adding: “It is, indeed, false for anyone to say that President Buhari’s appointments are lopsided.”

However, a Fact Check by Premium Times on the list released by Adesina, said it contained several omissions and errors.

Despite public outcries, Buhari’s top appointment into the country’s security service between 2015 and 2020, favoured officers from the northern part of the country.

Checks on Buhari’s appointments into the leadership cadre of Nigerian’s security agencies during that period show that only two of the eight security chiefs were from the South: the Chief of Defence staff (South West) and the Chief of Naval Staff (South-South).

The remaining six, including the heads of the Army, Air Force, Police, Nigeru Intelligence Agency and Department of State Service were all Northerners.

Also, as of April 6, 2021, a regional analysis of the heads of security agencies conducted by The ICIR, including paramilitary organisations, based on their state of origin shows that 12 out of 16 of them (75 per cent) are from the Northern part of the country, while just four (25 per cent) are from the Southern part of the country.

Also, Buhari”s approval of the list of Justices of the Court of Appeal released in 2021 is considered as lopsided, with 61 per cent of jurists coming from the North versus 39 per cent from the South.

Buhari’s appointments into the top management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and its subsidiaries showed an uneven geographical spread of senior appointments.

An analysis carried out by The ICIR revealed a geographical imbalance within the ranks of the Corporation.

Apart from violating the Constitution in appointing his personal aides into sensitive positions in agencies like the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC), Buhari also in several cases appointed dead people into his government.

The former President also breached the Acts establishing several agencies, including the National Pension Commission (PenCom). He also engaged in illegal extension of tenures.

Unqualified persons were also appointed in agencies and ministries like the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).




     

     

    Buhari in 2021, approved approved Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim’s appointment as the new Director-General of NAPTIP. However, Sulaiman-Ibrahim did not possess the required qualification to hold the position.

    According to the NAPTIP Act, the agency’s DG shall be someone of the director cadre in the Nigerian public service or its equivalent in any law enforcement agency.

    “There shall be for the Agency a Director-General who shall be from the Directorate cadre in the public service of the Federation or its equivalent in any law enforcement service and shall be appointed by the President on the recommendation of the Minister,” Section 8 (1) of the NAPTIP Act 2015, reads.

    Suleiman-Ibrahim did not have any record of attaining the director cadre in Nigeria public service as she had never held a major office in the country’s civil service. She was, however, appointed against the stipulation of the law.

    You can reach out to me on Twitter via: vincent_ufuoma

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