A Northern group, the Arewa Economic Forum (AEF), has called out President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for what it termed the “Yorubanisation” and “Lagoslisation” of his appointments.
The socio-cultural pressure group accused President Tinubu of appointing into key sectors of the country mostly people from the South-West region and Lagos State particularly.
AEF Chairman, Alhaji Ibrahim Shehu Dandakata, noted the forum’s displeasure that the North, is being left out in the Finance and ICT sectors which are crucial to economic development.
Dandakata pointed out that both the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, and the Acting Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Folashodun Shonubi, are from the southwest.
The forum’s chairman made this known in Abuja on Wednesday at a press conference organized by AEF to register its discontent over the seeming nepotism in some of the President’s appointments.
“The Minister of Finance and the Cordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, and the Acting Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Folashodun Shonubi, are both from the southwest…the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Mr Bosun Tijani, is from the southwest and even the Chairman of Senate Committee on ICT, Senator Afolabi Salisu, and that of House of Representatives, Hon. Adedeji Olajide Odidiomo, are also from the southwest”, he said.
“We have now found that even some agencies whose chief executive officers were removed like Customs and NIMC have been replaced by people from the southwest,” he added.
“There is palpable fear that more Northerners may be recommended for removal and their replacements may take a similar pattern.
“We are afraid to state that a situation whereby the appointees in crucial economic sectors are not only from the southwest but also connected to the Lagos axis suggests a deliberate ‘Yorubanisation’ and ‘Lagoslisation’ of the polity.
“In his appointments, changes and replacements, we call on the President to be wary of actions that can send a wrong signal on his true intentions or the agenda of some of his key lieutenants,” the Chairman argued.
He cited the case of how the leadership of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) was changed recently, fearing it may set a bad precedent.
“For example, the President last week directed the immediate past Director-General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Engr Aliyu Abubakar Aziz, to vacate office and proceed on terminal leave and in his place he appointed Engr Bisoye Coker-Odusote as acting DG.
“But in the same directive, the President asked her to continue as substantive DG immediately after acting for three months. Many found this curious as it is actually unprecedented. If the President could not allow the most senior director in the Commission to act for some time, he should have instructed Madam Coker-Odusote to resume her four-year tenure immediately instead of making her enjoy an extra three months. This is capable of setting a bad precedent in public service appointments.
“It is not too late for Mr. President to turn the corner and do the needful in upcoming appointments and crucial decisions.”
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