In this interview, Director General/National Coordinator North Central Development Initiative (NCDI), Comrade Musa Ali Otigba, tells EMEKA NZE, that North Central geo-political zone is not adequately represented in the present administration after they massively voted for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the February 25, 2023 presidential election. He calls on President Bola Tinubu to appoint more indigenes of the zone in government
What does the North Central Development Initiative (NCDI) stand for?
The North Central Development Initiative (NCDI), a socio-political and economic development advocacy organisation, is working for the people and interest of the North Central region of Nigeria. It is important to note, that, majority of the members of this group are also members and stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the different states that make up the north central region.
From your press briefing a few days ago, your group seems to be unhappy with the APC-led administration. Why?
We want to draw the attention of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima-led federal government, to the unfair and undeserving neglect of the north central region by the government, especially, in the area of appointment of heads of government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) since the inception of this administration on May 29, 2023, and to appeal to Mr. President, to please, treat every region fairly, particularly, the North Central region that worked so hard for his victory, to save the region from political exclusion and irrelevance in conformity with Mr. President’s oath of office which he agreed to treat all manners of people equally irrespective of their tribe, religion or faith professed. We are worried that a government we worked so hard against all odds to help establish, has decided to neglect the region and its people within such a short period of time. Let me start by reminding the president and our great party, the APC, that the North Central geopolitical zone, which comprises Benue, Nasarawa, Niger, Kogi, Kwara and Plateau states, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), delivered a total of 1,760,993 votes to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima, in the February 25, 2023 presidential election. By this number, the region produced the third highest number of votes, after South West and North West, which produced 2,279,407 and 2,652,235 votes respectively. We also delivered four out of the six states in the zone to the APC during the governorship elections in addition to Kogi state which was already an APC state. But to our utmost surprise and dismay, Mr. President omitted one of his strong support base, the North Central, in his appointments of heads of key government agencies made so far. Politics, as you know, is about investment. If you make investment, you expect to reap out of it. But in this regard the North Central region has not been adequately rewarded by Mr. President in his appointments so far as enumerated below.
Can you be specific in your claims. What areas do you think the zone is shortchanged?
In Tinubu’s appointment of Security Chiefs, no citizen of any state in the North Central zone was considered. From the National Security Adviser (NSA), to the Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Air Staff, Chief of Naval Staff, Chief of Defence Intelligence and even the Inspector General of Police (IGP), none is from the North Central zone. For the purposes of emphasis, the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, is from Adamawa state, North East. The Chief of Defence Staff, Major General Chris Musa, and the Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal H.B Abubakar, are both from the North West, Kaduna and Kano states respectively. The Chief of Army Staff, Maj. Gen. T.A Lagbaja, and the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, are both from the South West, Osun and Ogun states respectively. The Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral C. A. Ogalla, is from Enugu state, South East, while the Chief of Defence Intelligence, Maj. Gen. Epa Undiandeye, is from Cross River state, South-South. From the analysis above, it is clear, that all the geopolitical zones in Nigeria except the North Central was considered in the national security architecture. In fact, some zones like the North West and South West got more than one slot, while the North Central zone has noting. This is irrespective of the fact that we have officers of merit, competence and absolute loyalty in the region which today is under threat by all kinds of banditry and other sundry crimes. We are not trying to politicise security. The point we are making is that the North Central region has no representation in the security architecture in Nigeria as it stands today and we want Mr. President to do something about it.
Is the North Central well represented in the paramilitary services?
The paramilitary security services as currently constituted have Caroline Wura-Ola Adepoju, from Ondo state as the Acting Comptroller General of Nigeria Immigration Service, and Mr. Adeniyi Adewale, from Osun state, as the Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs Service, both of them are from the South West. The Comptroller General of Nigeria Correctional Service (Prisons), Haliru Nababa, is from Sokoto state, North West, while the Acting Corps Marshall of the Federal Road Safety Commission, Mallam Dauda Ali Biu, is from Borno state, North East Nigeria. The only person from the North Central is the Commandant General of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Dr. Ahmed Abubakar Audi, from Nasarawa state.
Rumour even has it now that Dr. Ahmed Audi may soon be removed to be replaced by someone from the North East, despite the laudable programmes he has initiated in the corps since he assumed office in March, 2021. This is not in the interest of justice, equity and fair play, that a government that seeks to be all inclusive in its appointments to public offices should fail to ensure that paramilitary offices are distributed accordingly to give every region a sense of belonging.
Would you consider the leadership of National Assembly fairly composed?
Looking at the key positions in the leadership of National Assembly, namely, the Senate President, Deputy Senate President, Senate Majority Leader and Majority Whip, the Speaker, House of Representatives, Deputy Speaker, House Majority Leader and Majority Whip positions, none is zoned to North Central. The President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, is from the South-South, the Deputy Senate President, Senator Jibrin Barau, is from Kano, North West zone, while the Senate Majority Leader and Senate Chief Whip, Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele from Ekiti state and Senator Ali Ndume, from Borno state, are from South West and North East, respectively. Similarly, the Speaker of House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, is from Kaduna, also North West, the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, is from Abia state, South East, the House Majority Leader, Hon. Julius Ihonvbere, is from Edo state, South-South, while the Majority Whip, Hon. Bello Kumo, is from the North East. Again, it is only the North Central, out of all the zones, that was systematically excluded from the distribution of National Assembly leadership positions. It is only the opposition party, PDP, that gave the position of Minority Leader to the North Central even when we worked for and belongs to the ruling majority party.
Were you consulted when the national chairmanship of APC was re-zoned to Northwest?
It is pertinent to note, that, over time, it has been the tradition of our party, the APC, to zone its national offices among the six geopolitical zones in the country. It’s in line with this tradition that, in 2022, the APC national convention planning committee, a body constitutionally empowered by the party to conduct zoning arrangement on its behalf, in its own wisdom, zoned the position of national chairman of the party to the north central zone. A national convention was held in Abuja on Saturday 26 March, 2022, where about 7, 584 delegates gathered to elect national and zonal officers that will pilot the affairs of the party for the next four years. Senator Abdullahi Adamu, from Nasarawa state, north central region, was elected as national chairman of the party at the convention. But after the purported resignation of Senator Abdullahi Adamu, Mr. President unilaterally took the position away from North Central without adequate compensation to the zone. It is an aberration. The position of National Legal Adviser which was later given to the zone in return, is not, and cannot be enough compensation for national chairman position. Up till this moment, we are yet to recover from the shock of that decision to deprive the North Central region of its rightful place in the party.
Has your zone compensated with enough ministerial appointments?
Even though ministerial appointment is the constitutional right of every state in Nigeria to have at least, one minister, the President, however, has the exclusive right to allocate portfolios. Majority of the ministers from the north central zone were allotted the portfolios of Ministers of State. The few ones that were given full ministerial portfolios like Hon. Simon Lalong from Plateau state, Prince Shuaibu Abubakar, from Kogi state, Joseph Utsev from Benue state, Zephaniah Jisalo, from FCT, Alhaji Muhammad Idris Malagi, from Niger state, and Dr. Jamila Bio, from Kwara state, among others, none of them was given top cabinet appointment, unlike their counterparts from the other zones who were given very strategic ministries like Finance, Marine and Blue Economy, Interior, Works, Housing and Urban Development, Education, Mines and Solid Minerals, FCT, Petroleum and Gas Resources, Defence, Trade and Investments, etc.
How does North Central stand in appointments into MDA’s?
In all appointments of heads of government agencies, departments and parastatals made so far by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the North Central has not been carried along as there is no important position given to anyone from the region. As mentioned earlier, top cabinet appointments were given to the exclusion of the region. In the same vein, the heads of very important agencies like the Nigeria army, police, customs and immigration, EFCC, CBN, Bank of Industry, FIRS, FCSC, NPHCDA, NIPOST, ITF, NEPZA, Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria, NIWA, ARCON, NSIPA, NELMCO, and still counting, are all given to a particular region, while the North Central region has almost nothing.
This is not good in a country that practices democracy and said to be guided by federal character principles. As we speak today, all our political leaders who toiled through thick and thin to convince our people in the region to vote APC/Tinubu during the election are not carried along in the government they laboured so hard to bring on board. What is even more shocking to us and which we want to remind Mr. President, is that the entire structure of the presidential campaign council for Tinubu/Shettima 2023, was managed and successfully so, by the North Central people. The DG of the Campaign Council, His Excellency, Hon. Simon Lalong, the Secretary of the council, Hon. James Abiodun Faleke, the Deputy Secretary, Chief Christopher Tarka, and the National Youth Coordinator who mobilised the entire Nigerian youth in support of the party, His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello, are all from North Central.
At the Independent campaign council, the national coordinator of the council, His Excellency, Hon. Ali Silas Agara, the chairman of Support Groups/NGOs mobilisation, His Excellency, Alhaji Umaru Tanko Almakura and the secretary, Pharm. (Dr.) Ali Zakari Jiya, are also from North Central, and collectively, they managed the campaign to victory. But all these people and others too numerous to mention here, except Hon. Simon Lalong, who was appointed minister, none of them is in the government.
But Akume was appointed the SGF. Have you forgotten that?
While we thank President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for appointing one of our own from the region, Senator (Dr) George Akume, from Benue state, as Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), we are saying that the position of SGF is not enough for the entire region. We are appealing to Mr. President to, please, do more for the region. The North Central deserves more from the government. We also want to use this opportunity to appeal to the SFG, to always ensure equitable distribution of opportunities among the states in the zone where he comes from.
Has the APC as a party tried to placate the North Central in all of these?
It is most regrettable, that, despite the efforts, commitment and loyalty of the North Central people to the APC in ensuring victory for the party in all elections in the zone, the leadership of the party has not deemed it feet to take necessary steps towards addressing the glaring discrimination against the zone, let alone calling the attention of Mr. President to the anomalies.
What would you tell President Tinubu and APC in all these complaints?
In the spirit of equity, justice and fairness, and as a way of compensation or rewards for our efforts, we, on behalf of the North Central people, do hereby make the following requests from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led APC government. That President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as the President and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, should do something to ensure that the North Central region is adequately represented in the national security architecture. That in the next line of appointments, the North Central should be given priority to remedy the identified injustice and exclusion meted out to the region. The region has capable hands that can head strategic government agencies like NIMASA, NPA, NNPC Limited, BCDA, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), FERMA, NEMA, RMAFC, NPC, PSC, etc, just like any other region.
The North Central deserves better deal that it has gotten so far in this government. We appeal to the party under the leadership of His Excellency, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, to take deliberate steps to compensate the North Central for been denied its legitimate right within the party structure. We want Mr. President and our party, the APC, to note, that, the North Central remains a strong support base of the President and the party.
We are not in any way antagonising the government but to set the record straight. Considering our efforts and contribution to the enthronement of this administration, the requests made above are our rights and not on the basis of any favour. But as peaceful and loyal party men and women who have tremendous respect for the President and his government, we are hereby making it an appeal to Mr. President, to please, consider these requests and make immediate pronouncements that will calm the already tensed nerves of the North Central people and to save the region from political exclusion and irrelevance.
Mr. President sir, you are the father of this nation Nigeria, and we, the North Central people are also your children. We still believe in your ability to correct the wrongs as we have always known you to be a leader with listening ears and who believe in justice, equity and fairness to all. We have heard you mentioned on several fora, that whenever you are doing something wrong in any direction, your attention should be called to it.
And It is only this medium that we can use to draw your attention to this neglect of the North Central people, especially, those that worked for your victory. We pray that Mr. President will as usual, treat this message with every seriousness it deserves to give the north central people their rightful place in your administration. A comprehensive list of the party stakeholders who worked days and nights for the victory of the party across the sates in the zone, shall be forwarded to Mr. President immediately for your information and necessary action.
We hereby call on the Vice President, His Excellency, Senator Kashim Shettima, and the Chief of staff to the president, His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, to intervene in these anomalies and support Mr. President in doing justice to the north central people. We also call on the first lady of the federal republic of Nigeria, Her Excellency, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, as the mother of this nation, to look into our plight and appeal to her husband who is also the father of the nation, to treat the north central people fairly and look into our requests. And to our highly respected political leaders in the North Central – the governors, ministers and members of the National Assembly from the six states and the FCT, we call on you not to look the other way.
