NIGERIANS have criticised the appointment of Usman Alkali Baba as new Inspector General of Police (IGP), saying that another ‘northerner’ has been appointed head of the nation’s security outfit.
Minister of Police Affairs Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi had announced on Tuesday that Usman was appointed the new IGP by President Muhammadu Buhari to replace Mohammed Adamu.
However, the appointment angered many Nigerians on the social media, who said the president had again appointed another head of security from his region.
Cheta Okorafor @Cheta_Okorafor, while reacting to the announcement, asked if there were only northerners in Nigeria and why there could not be an Inspector General of Police from the Igbo tribe in the country.
“Another northerner. Are northerners the only people in Nigeria? Why can’t an Igbo man become IGP?” Okorafor asked.
Taking the same position as Okorafor, African Angel @KelvinpaulX accused the president of setting precedence in his appointment by selecting people from his religion and region into important offices in the country.
“Buhari has set a precedent in his appointments of people from his region and religion into important offices in the country thereby ignoring federal character principle,” Angel said.
Voice of Reason @TheVoic61802007 said as a young boy growing up in the country, appointments by President Buhari had a way of making him think that Nigeria was only for a particular section of this country.
Sylvester @AgihSylvester ironically said the appointment was possible because there was no southerner under the current administration fit to head any of the security outfits in Nigeria.
Olanusi Akintayo @OlanusiAkin accused the president of marginalisation in federal appointments in the country.
“The more you complain about Buhari’s marginalization of other ethnic groups in Federal appointments, the more he displays an I-don’t-care attitude. I think d people fuelling the embers of disunity in this country are the very people at the corridors of power; Aso Rock in particular,” Akintayo said.
Taking a religious outlook at the appointment, Andrew @Andrew70298095 asked why appointments were mostly for people answering Muslim names.
“But why, why always a Usman or Ibrahim or Muhammed or Aliu and others on the list each time appointments are made,” he questioned.
Like Andrew, Olu Adenodi @OluAdenodi said the president travelled out of the country before he announced his preference for ‘another Muslim.’
“DIG USMAN ALKALI BABA replaces Adamu whose tenure was extended on February 1 for three months. The President waited until he is far away in the UK to announce his preference of another Muslim to fill the all round table of Nigeria’s security personnel in the hands of Northerners,” Adenodi said.
What the data say
A dive into data of heads of security agencies in Nigeria further justify Nigerians’ agitations against the lopsided appointment of President Muhammadu Buhari.
As of April 6, 2021, a regional analysis of the heads of security agencies, including paramilitary and antigraft agencies based on their state of origin shows that 12 out of 16 of them (75 percent) are from the northern part of the country, while just four (25 percent) are from the southern part of the country.
These agencies are Defence, Nigerian Army, Nigerian Airforce, Nigerian Navy, Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Security (DSS), National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Nigeria Correctional Service, Nigeria Immigration Service, and Nigeria Customs Service.
Others are Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Federal Fire Service, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices And Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
Lukman Abolade is an Investigative reporter with The ICIR. Reach out to him via [email protected], on twitter @AboladeLAA and FB @Correction94