Amid public outcry over the lopsidedness in appointments so far made by President Muhammadu Buhari, a group of his supporters have risen up in his defence.
The supporters, under the aegis of Muhammadu Buhari and Osinbajo Dynamic Support Group, on Sunday, said Nigerians ought to pay greater attention to the personal integrity and competence of the appointees rather than their ethnic or religious affiliations.
Recent appointments by the President include: The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir David Lawal; Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (retd.); and Comptroller General of Immigration, Martin Abeshi, among several others, generated public outrage especially from the South-East.
Leader of the pro-Buhari group, Usman Ibrahim, who spoke to reporters in Abuja, said while it is true that the appointments so far made by the President favoured more people from northern Nigeria, there were still many more appointments to be made.
He said, “Nigerians, especially the sections that felt sidelined, should exercise patience. The President is not for the North alone, he is for all the country.
“We must also understand that the North-East, in particular, has borne the brunt of the recent challenges, especially the insurgency which has killed and displaced most of its people and crippled socio-economic activities.”
According to him, the North-East which many have alleged was the greatest beneficiary of the appointments had been at the receiving end of the insurgency over the last six years.
“I don’t think we should dwell on the region or section of the country an appointee comes from, but we should all work to ensure that the people appointed and the President are fair to all the parts of the country in executing developmental projects,” he added.
He equally argued that the appointments being made by the President were his prerogative and he selects the people he thinks will work, not for him, but for the nation.
Ibrahim expressed confidence that the President would within the coming weeks, pick competent people from other parts of the country to fill the remaining positions in order to move the country forward.
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