The Christian Elders Forum of Northern States (NOSCEF) has
appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to match his words with actions to do
away with the nepotistic tendencies in his government in order to build a
united Nigeria.
NOSCEF, in a statement after its meeting in Kaduna issued by
its Chairman, Engineer Ejoga Oyinehi Inalegwu, noted that President Buhari’s
efforts to unite the country would be mere rhetoric if he fails to practice
what he preaches to Nigerians.
The meeting emphasized, “We join the President in appealing
for a united, equitable, Nigeria that is fair and just to all, irrespective of
religion, tribe, origin, or region. We however add that unity must first begin
from the President himself.”
The participants at the meeting enjoined President Buhari to
unite the country by bringing people together through appointments not based on
a mere relationship with him on religion or any primordial considerations but
competent hands, across religious, tribal, and regional divides for the development
of the country.
The statement appealed to Mr. President to start by
appointing competent indigenous Christians from his home state of Katsina into
key government positions, stressing that he would do more in promoting unity
across religious and tribal lines by appointing not just a section to key
sensitive institutions, strategic ministries and parastatals so that Nigerians
can come together, work together in unity and appreciate themselves of their
capabilities and competencies that abound across the lines of division and not
privileges derivable by their religion or ethnicity.
The statement further frowned at the perpetuation of what it
called “the terrible injustice” of the past by the systematic replacement of
the favored by the same group while the few others appointed are also being
replaced by the already favoured.
The group observed that same goes for the security outfits;
the Police, Army, Air Force, Navy, Prisons, Immigration, Civil Defence,
Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Interior, saying that it should reflect the
regional and religious diversity of the country.
The meeting lamented, “The President cannot preach unity and
be appointing only a section of Nigerians to hold sensitive positions. The
president is not preaching unity when telling a section of Nigerians that by
religion, ethnicity and region they are incompetent to hold sensitive positions
in his government.”
NOSCEF stated that the President should preach unity in the
distribution of infrastructure, appointments to sensitive and none sensitive
positions across all divides.
NOSCEF noted that for both the President and the Governors,
it should be noted that the resources due all citizens under them are held in
trust for all, saying that whether they voted at all or did not vote, whether
they voted for the ruling party or not.
The statement observed that siting and distribution of
projects and development should not be repayment for patronage at elections,
pointing out that revenues are for the development of the entire domain of
governance and should be so seen to be so.
NOSCEF said that it is unfair, to on any ground, exclude
states from benefiting from borrowed funds, when those states will participate
in the repayment.
The statement added that such are instruments of disunity
and should be nipped in the bud, stressing that as a nation, re-ignite the
successes of the past, when great minds and national prides like Ngozi
Okonjo-Iweala, Prof. Adesina Akinwumi, Arumah Oteh, Amina Mohammed, Prof.
Atahiru Jega, Dora Akinyuli, among others were brought on the national stage on
the basis of competence, not patronage and did the nation proud.
The statement lamented that similarly, service chiefs and
other security heads were not appointed from across all divides, but as
lubricating oil of unity.
The group stressed that the cover-up and justification for
these lopsided appointments is a national insult on those Nigerians
superintendent over, adding that competency abounds across all divides of the
country and no President can justify lopsided appointments on the basis of
shortage of competence or integrity from any section of the country.
It urged the President to address these issues with
determination and singleness of mind, assuring that he would be sowing seeds
for reuniting Nigeria.
The participants advised President Buhari that it is never
too late to do the right thing, by redressing past wrongs, as the results would
be rewarding and the sowing of seeds of unity and rebuilding hopeful confidence
for the desired oneness of the beloved country.
NOSCEF tasked Boko Haram insurgents that have announced
their repentant status to prove their sincerity by facilitating the release of
the Chibok girls still in their custody, Leah Sharibu and others still in
captivity, saying that it would be a practical demonstration to the nation that
their repentance is genuine.
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