Says president under cabals’ influence
Why appointees, APC chieftains not tried for graft –Presidency
By AbdulRaheem Aodu with agency report, Kaduna
The North has been short-changed by President Muhammadu Buhari’s government in the areas of appointments and location of projects.
An elder statesman and spokesman of the Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF), Professor Ango Abdullahi, who made the claim, also declared that this is not the change northerners voted for.
Abdullahi spoke as guest on Kaduna-based Liberty Radio Hausa programme, Bakon mu na mako, monitored yesterday in Kaduna.The academic noted that the North was not properly represented in the appointment of ministers and in the distribution of capital projects in the 2016 budget.
He said the North voted for Buhari and not the All Progressives Congress, because the Goodluck Jonathan administration had reneged on the power shift arrangement which brought President Olusegun Obasanjo to power in 1999.
According to him, “Buhari has been contesting election in the last 12 years. He contested on the platform of ANPP, contested again on the platform of CPC in 2011. In 2015, the North rallied round him because it was aggrieved over the decision of PDP to field Jonathan in spite of the obvious constitutional breach that another four year- term for him would have imposed on the country.
“So, given the fact that northerners had resolved that power should shift to the North in 2015 and Buhari’s past record and personal integrity, the North rallied round in his support, irrespective of party or religious affiliations.”
The NEF spokesman said the North was not given positions commensurate with its voting strength in the Federal Executive Council, pointing out that the ministries with direct bearing on the economy were not in the hands of northerners, except the ministry of agriculture.
The former university administrator further said the North “only got 30% out of the capital projects that have been earmarked in the 2016 appropriation bill. The North East, North West and North Central got 3%, 9% and 19%, respectively.”
“Imagine, the North east which was ravaged by Boko Haram, only got 3%. In terms of recurrent expenditure which is mainly paying salaries and servicing the day-to-day running of government, the North is also short-changed because as at 10 years ago, only 18% of federal civil servants are northerners.”
According to him, NEF raised the alarm for northern legislators in both chambers of the National Assembly to act. We have not been able to lay our hands on the final document to ascertain whether the lopsidedness has been resolved or it was merely mitigated.”
While saying the region had no regrets voting Buhari, he, however, pointed out that the genesis of the present administration’s problem, began with the appointment of aides that “do not share his vision and who cannot help to drive his blueprint of development.”
He also blamed the first people who advised Buhari as president-elect.
“As a democratically elected government, Buhari should have selected people who are both politically savvy and competent in governance. His close aides should be people who are his eyes and the face of government, people who know the political history of this country and the forces that coalesced to bring about the Buhari Presidency.
“For example, if you place the current Secretary to the Government of the Federation vis-à-vis his predecessors like Alhaji Liman Ciroma, Gidado Idris and Ambassador Babagana Kingibe, you will know that he pales in comparison. Most of his ministers cannot even sell the government in the state or local communities.”
He acknowledged the existence of a cabal, whose influence on the president, according to him, is self-serving.
Meanwhile, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, has offered reasons APC leaders and those in the president’s cabinet were not being prosecuted for corruption.
Adesina, who stated this while featuring as a guest on a radio programme, Sweet F.M’s Podium in Abeokuta, also argued that the federal government’s anti-corruption fight was not selective.
According to him, APC chieftains and appointees are not being prosecuted because no evidence has been put forward indicting them of corrupt practices.
“The onus lies on he who alleges to also prove. The fact that any PDP member crosses to APC does not provide automatic shield. Whoever is indicted will be prosecuted,” he said.
On the arrest of judges, he said the raid on judges was only a raid on corruption and not the judiciary.
“Mr. President has said it all. No one is out to intimidate the judiciary. DSS raid was a raid on corruption not Judiciary.”
On the importation of rice, Adesina clarified that the federal government did not ban the importation of rice, but only took steps to curtail the activities of smugglers at the nation’s land borders.
He lamented the widespread misinformation that the government had banned the importation of rice, saying “importation of rice via our sea borders remains legal.”
He said the Buhari-led government was committed to the diversification of the economy.
“We have gotten to the point in which we have to diversify or die. The federal government has disbursed money so as to heavily invest in agriculture and mining. Dr. Fayemi (Minister of Mines and Solid Minerals Development) has told us that the results of the ongoing investment may not be clearly seen in less than 30 years. However, we will lay the foundation.”
On his appointment, Adesina said he, perhaps, would have done all he could to stop his appointment as the President’s media aide if he had a hint about its possibility.
“I was not expecting it. Maybe if I knew, I would have done all in my powers to make sure it did not happen. I have known him since he started contesting and wrote good things about him, but I did not know he will appoint me as his adviser.”
(Premium Times)