Lopsided appointment: You are engaged in beer parlour talks ― Senate tells Buhari’s critics

By Henry Umoru – Abuja

The Senate has taken a swipe at the former Military Governor of Kaduna State, Col. Abubakar Dangiwa Umar and others  who have accused President Muhammadu Buhari of lopsided appointments into Federal Government establishments and agencies.

The Senate while defending the appointments so far made by Buhari’s administration, described such criticisms and comments as mere beer parlour talks.

Addressing Journalists in Abuja, Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Ajibola Basiru, All Progressives Congress, APC, Osun, described as a “beer parlour talks”, claims that Buhari’s appointment was lopsided.

Senator Basiru, however, asked  Nigerians to x-ray the appointments made by President Buhari based on geopolitical zones, rather than from whether the appointee is from the North or South.

Reacting to the Senate confirmation of a northerner, who is Buhari’s nominees for the position of the Chairman of the Board of Federal Character Commission when the Secretary is already from the North, Basiru said the two officials are from different geopolitical zones.

He said, “Please do a tabulation of all appointments to be filled up by the Federal Government and the ones that have been done and show empirically, scientifically, how it has been lopsided.

“I will not with due respect, rely on what people colloquially call, beer parlor discussion.

“I want to tell you too that politicians can be mischievous, I am not saying any Senator is mischievous.

“When you talk of the North we have three zones – North-Central, North-East, and North-West – but when people want to be mischievous when the appointment comes from the North Central and they want to just make it look as if is from the North, they will say this one is also for the North but when it suits them, then they will talk of South East and South West.”

Recall that former  Military Governor of Kaduna State, Col. Abubakar Dangiwa Umar, retd had written to President Muhammadu Buhari to belong to all Nigerians and not for a section of a particular tribe of the country.

Col. Umar who particularly lampooned President Buhari on what he described as his skewed appointments into the offices of the federal government, said that he favoured some and frustrated others, just as he said that the action shall bring ruin and destruction to this nation, adding that the country’s political history is replete with great acts of exemplary leadership which, at critical moments, managed to pull this nation back from the precipice and assured its continued existence.

In an open letter to President Buhari, Umar who noted that he has less than three years to write authentic history and to prove that he is for all Nigerians in all its ramifications said that it did not come as a surprise that enthusiasm for the 5th-anniversary celebration of his government was not shared equally by segments of the public.

In the beginning of the letter, the former Military Governor quoted Shehu Usman Dan Fodio thus, “One of the swiftest ways of destroying a Kingdom is to give preference of one particular tribe over another or show favour to one group of people rather than another. And to draw near those who should be kept away and keep away those who should be drawn near” Sheikh Usman Dan Fodio.

The letter read in part: “I have been prompted to write you this open letter, Mr President, by the loud sounds of drums, singing and dancing that erupted within many groups in the last few days on the grounds that you attained the 5th year in office as President of Nigeria.

“It comes as no surprise that enthusiasm for the celebration is not shared equally by segments of the public.

“While your admirers and supporters believe you have performed well, many others believe the five years you have been in office as our President has not met the yearnings, expectations and change promised Nigerians.”