There were indications on Saturday that
President Muhammadu Buhari and the All
Progressives Congress had begun moves to
compensate the South-East for not getting any
appointments so far in the current
administration.
SUNDAY PUNCH reliably gathered that some
states in the geopolitical zone might get more
than one ministerial slot.
The Presidency and the APC sources, who spoke
to SUNDAY PUNCH on condition of anonymity,
also justified the appointments made by Buhari
on Thursday.
A top member of the party said the President
was not unmindful of criticisms that greeted the
alleged lopsided appointments.
He said, “The President has assured us that all
zones that have not been represented in the
appointments he has made so far will be
compensated.
“For example, some states in the South-East may
get more than one ministerial slots. The
President is going to make board and
ambassadorial appointments. All zones, including
the South-East, will be represented in this
government.”
Prominent Nigerians and socio-political groups,
have criticised the appointments made by Buhari
so far.
Out of 31 appointments made so far, 24 of the
appointees are from the North and seven are
from the South. The South-East has no
representation in the Buhari-led government.
SUNDAY PUNCH however gathered that the
emergence of the new Secretary to the
Government of the Federation, Pastor David
Lawal, and the Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, was
the result of the politics among power blocks in
the APC.
It was learnt that the two appointees belonged
to the Congress for Progressive defunct Change,
which Buhari led, before it merged with other
parties to form the APC
A Presidency source told one of our
correspondents that Lawal and Kyari were picked
because of their closeness and loyalty to the
President.
The source said, “Although the President is a
loyal member of the party, the levels of trust he
has in the members differ. There are various
blocks in the APC.
“You don’t give appointments such as chief of
staff and the SGF to your rival or his loyalists;
you give them to those you can vouch for. Those
posts are ears and eyes of the President and
they are not subjected to the party’s
ratification.”
It was also gathered that the latest appointments
confirmed the existence of various power blocks
in the APC.
It will be recalled that the CPC, led by Buhari,
merged with the Action Congress of Nigeria, the
All Nigerians Peoples Party and a faction of the
All Progressive Grand Alliance, led by the Imo
State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, to form the
APC.
They were later joined by five governors, who
defected from the Peoples Democratic Party.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar also
defected from the PDP to the APC.
Meanwhile, the Presidency, on Saturday, assured
Nigerians that by the end of the series of
appointments being made by Buhari, no part of
Nigeria would feel alienated.
The Special Assistant to the President on Media
Affairs, Mr. Garba Shehu, said this in a telephone
interview with one of our correspondents.
When asked if the South- East and other parts of
the country, who are complaining of being
marginalised by Buhari would be compensated,
Shehu said appointments so far made by the
President were just a few out of so many that
would be made by the President.
He said, “There will be ministers, heads of
government departments, federal boards and
ambassadors. At the end of the exercise, no part
of the country will be left feeling left out.”
http://www.punchng.com/news/appointments-
buhari-apc-move-to-pacify-seast/
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