Buhari’s Marginalized Appointments Threatens the Nation’s Unity

On Tuesday, August 25, 2015, a meeting of southern leaders under the auspices of the Southern Nigeria Peoples Assembly (SNPA) was convened and took a critical look at the state of the country under President Mohammadu Buhari and the APC led government. One of the malaises they discovered is characteristic of PMB’s led government is the dominance of the Northern region in the nation’s helms of affairs and described it as
unacceptable.

The group came to term with the fact that it was obvious that north had expunged other regions after it produced the president, Senate President, speaker of the House of Representatives as well as the Chief Justice of Nigeria negating the principal of federal character.

In its observations the group further beamed its rays in the lopsided appointments and selective fight against corruption when it is obvious that corruption practice spanned beyond Jonathan’s government.

The resolve of President Buhari’s administration to wage a decisive war against corruption which is essential to put Nigeria on the global map of business friendly nations that will earn the country prosperity is a most welcome development.

However, it is important to state that the dialectics of corruption, as pervasive as diverse, require a holistic fight to tame its pervading scourge. Thus, it must not be seen to be selective and limited to some perceived political enemies and foes to score cheap political points.

For Nigeria to succeed in the war to eliminate the cancerous spread of this malaise, all those who contributed in one way or another to ruin the prospects of a great country like Nigeria and have brought us to this despicable position should be made to account for their actions.

It is only when the battle against corruption is genuinely and seriously fought without fear or favour that endearing legacies of a transformed country could bequeathed to future generations.

One of the reasons many Nigerians particularly Northerners could not come to terms with the 1966 coup as led by Major Ezengu is that nobody in the South was affected in that miss reasoned bloodshed, unknowing, President Buhari is toiling the same route with his ill-fated fight against corruption as he only directs his sword toward the south specifically to the Jonathan led administration. 

At the May 29 inaugural speech, of Mr. President Nigerians’ hope raised to the high heavens as he boldly proclaimed ‘I belong to everybody, but‎ I belong to nobody’ this was true of a state man, regardless of who gave him 95 percent or 5 percent votes but how true is this statement interms of  implementation?

However, recent events as regards the President’s one sided consideration and selective measures against corruption fight have shown that the above quote of Mr. President was just on paper and not genuinely rooted in the mind. It is likely that Mr. President’s fight against corruption will meet waterloo because of not involving an all embracing mechanism against the root cause of corruption in the nation. 

PMB should know that Nigeria is an entity with diverse cultures, religions and political affiliations, these should guide Mr. president’ choice on appointments and policies implementation, one of the key for any nation’s development is unity and sense of belonging without which whatever developmental steps taken will be like building a house on sinking sand.