Group Blasts Fayose Over Lopsided Appointments
The apex body of Islamic groups, the
Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) Ekiti state chapter has told
Governor, Ayodele Fayose, to stop criticising President Muhammed Buhari
over his appointment so far, accusing him of been worse than anybody in
that area.
The group in a statement on Sunday, September 6, by its chairman,
Yakubu Sanni, said that as much as they concede to Fayose his right to
criticise the president on equitable distribution of political offices
or on any other issue, charged him to start with the correction of the
lopsided appointments he made in his own state.
NSCIA also asked him to give his people similar freedom of expression he enjoys under President Buhari, his most avowed object of criticism and stop high handedness.
The group is reacting to a statement credited to the governor through his senior special assistant on public communication and new media, Lere Olayinka, where he noted lopsided appointments by Buhari.
NSCIA bemused that the governor who had continuously subjected Muslims in his own state to various forms of deprivation since he assumed office 7 months, 18 days ago could have the temerity to condemn perceived action of deprivation by any other government.
READ ALSO: Fayose’s Actions Does Not Speak Well For Him – Ojeifo
Fayose had said that out of 31 appointments made so far by President Buhari into various offices, only 7 are from the southern part of the country.
He described the actions of President Buhari as “tinted in ethnic and tribal coloration”. He then posited that “if such step is not checked, it will threaten the unity of Nigeria.”
The group opined that the governor was oblivious of the constitutional imperatives when he was making his appointments and the Muslims in the state were virtually left out. The group added that efforts made by the state Muslims to see him and advice him properly on the matter was ignored by the governor.
The governor, while condemning the President, cited various sections of the constitution which according to the group,“national integration shall be actively encouraged whilst discrimination on the grounds of place of origin,sex,religion, status (emphasis ours), ethnic or linguistic association or ties shall be prohibited.”
The group, which accused the governor, whom it described as calling the kettle black declared that no governor since the creation of the state had committed more serious infractions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria than governor Fayose in the issues of appointment during his first and second tours of duties in the state.
NSCIA also lambasted the governor who did not consider it fair enough to appoint Muslims into political offices to have appointed his own son as his personal assistant bringing to the total number of people appointed from his hometown, Afao-Ekiti alone to five when most big towns in the state are still yawning for one.
They listed the lopsidedness in the appointment of the governor, challenging him of where lies the justice and fairness he claimed to be defending?
According to the statement, “Currently, the following distribution pattern of political and top bureaucrats prevail under Governor Ayodele Fayose’s watch:
1. Governor – 1 Christian, Muslim, NIL ;
2. Deputy Governor – 1 Christian, Muslim, NIL;
3. Speaker – 1 Christian Muslim, NIL;
4. Deputy Speaker – 1 Christian Muslim, NIL;
5. Judges – All Christians, Muslim, NIL;
6. Special Advisers – Christians, 1 Muslim;
7. Secretary to the State Government – 1 Christian, Muslim, NIL
8. 14 State Commissioners – All Christians, Muslim, NIL;
9. Chief of Staff – 1 Christian, Muslim, NIL;
10. Director General (Due Process) – 1 Christian, Muslim, NIL ;
11. Chairman, Petroleum Task Force – 1 Christian, Muslim, NIL;
12. 26 No Permanent Secretaries – All Christians, Muslim, NIL ;
13. 13 No Executive Secretaries – All Christians Muslim, NIL;
14. 5 No Chairman/Members of SUBEB – All Christians, Muslim, NIL;
15. 5 No Chairman/Members of HASC – 4 Christians, 1 Muslim;
16. 5 No Chairman/Members of EKSIEC – All Christians, Muslim, NIL;
17. 5 No Chairman/Members, Governing Board of EKSU – All Christians, Muslim, NIL;
18. 7 No Chairman/Members of College of Education – All Christians, Muslim, NIL;
19. 7 No Chairman/Members of Governing Board of College of Health Tech – All Christians, No Muslim;
20. 16 Education Secretaries President – All Christians, Muslim, NIL;
21. 16 Caretaker Chairmen of Local Government Councils – 15 Christians, 1 Muslim;.
The statement read in part: “It may interest the reading public to know also that this is the same Ekiti State where, at different times and under different democratic governments, Muslims produced Deputy Governor, Secretary to the State Government, Chairmen and Members of Statutory Boards and Commissions, Special Advisers, Permanent Secretaries, Chairmen and Members of government parastatals, etc.
“However, in the wisdom of our fair Governor, what Muslims deserve in his government are just 1 SPECIAL ADVISER, 1 out of 16 LG Councils CARETAKER CHAIRMEN, 1 MEMBER of Ekiti State House of Assembly Service Commission out of the whole mammoths that he had appointed since October 16, 2014.
“As at the last count, the Governor, his Personal Assistant, Chairman of Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Council, his Local Government Area, a Senior Special Assistant, Environment and Traffic Control and one Education Secretary are all from Afao – Ekiti, the Governor’s home town. Charity, they say, begins from home and he who goes to equity should go with clean hands.President Buhari had appointed less than 20% of his political appointees out of which 22.5% are Southerners.
READ ALSO: Buhari And His “Bridge Breaking” Appointments
“Governor Fayose had appointed mere FOUR (4) or 0.05% MUSLIMS so far out of a mammoth of about EIGHTY (80) political and career appointees, representing at least 80% of total appointments he intends to make. What Muslims expect from Governor Fayose now is to re-appraise his appointments and make necessary amends. There are more than enough credible and well qualified Muslims, even going by the standard of the Governor, who are members of his political party in the State from whom he can pick.
“If he is in any difficulty in identifying them, the NSCIA in the State is ready to assist him. It is only when he does this that Muslims in Ekiti State will see his criticism of President Buhari’s administration as devoid of pettiness and share showmanship. The Governor should not take the civility of Muslims in Ekiti as weakness just as his claim to sincerity is subject to proof. The leadership of Muslims had prevailed on the Muslims in the State to maintain dignified silence in the phase of the obvious neglect for the sake of unity in the State.“
Governor Ayo Fayose
NSCIA also asked him to give his people similar freedom of expression he enjoys under President Buhari, his most avowed object of criticism and stop high handedness.
The group is reacting to a statement credited to the governor through his senior special assistant on public communication and new media, Lere Olayinka, where he noted lopsided appointments by Buhari.
NSCIA bemused that the governor who had continuously subjected Muslims in his own state to various forms of deprivation since he assumed office 7 months, 18 days ago could have the temerity to condemn perceived action of deprivation by any other government.
READ ALSO: Fayose’s Actions Does Not Speak Well For Him – Ojeifo
Fayose had said that out of 31 appointments made so far by President Buhari into various offices, only 7 are from the southern part of the country.
He described the actions of President Buhari as “tinted in ethnic and tribal coloration”. He then posited that “if such step is not checked, it will threaten the unity of Nigeria.”
The group opined that the governor was oblivious of the constitutional imperatives when he was making his appointments and the Muslims in the state were virtually left out. The group added that efforts made by the state Muslims to see him and advice him properly on the matter was ignored by the governor.
The governor, while condemning the President, cited various sections of the constitution which according to the group,“national integration shall be actively encouraged whilst discrimination on the grounds of place of origin,sex,religion, status (emphasis ours), ethnic or linguistic association or ties shall be prohibited.”
The group, which accused the governor, whom it described as calling the kettle black declared that no governor since the creation of the state had committed more serious infractions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria than governor Fayose in the issues of appointment during his first and second tours of duties in the state.
NSCIA also lambasted the governor who did not consider it fair enough to appoint Muslims into political offices to have appointed his own son as his personal assistant bringing to the total number of people appointed from his hometown, Afao-Ekiti alone to five when most big towns in the state are still yawning for one.
They listed the lopsidedness in the appointment of the governor, challenging him of where lies the justice and fairness he claimed to be defending?
According to the statement, “Currently, the following distribution pattern of political and top bureaucrats prevail under Governor Ayodele Fayose’s watch:
1. Governor – 1 Christian, Muslim, NIL ;
2. Deputy Governor – 1 Christian, Muslim, NIL;
3. Speaker – 1 Christian Muslim, NIL;
4. Deputy Speaker – 1 Christian Muslim, NIL;
5. Judges – All Christians, Muslim, NIL;
6. Special Advisers – Christians, 1 Muslim;
7. Secretary to the State Government – 1 Christian, Muslim, NIL
8. 14 State Commissioners – All Christians, Muslim, NIL;
9. Chief of Staff – 1 Christian, Muslim, NIL;
10. Director General (Due Process) – 1 Christian, Muslim, NIL ;
11. Chairman, Petroleum Task Force – 1 Christian, Muslim, NIL;
12. 26 No Permanent Secretaries – All Christians, Muslim, NIL ;
13. 13 No Executive Secretaries – All Christians Muslim, NIL;
14. 5 No Chairman/Members of SUBEB – All Christians, Muslim, NIL;
15. 5 No Chairman/Members of HASC – 4 Christians, 1 Muslim;
16. 5 No Chairman/Members of EKSIEC – All Christians, Muslim, NIL;
17. 5 No Chairman/Members, Governing Board of EKSU – All Christians, Muslim, NIL;
18. 7 No Chairman/Members of College of Education – All Christians, Muslim, NIL;
19. 7 No Chairman/Members of Governing Board of College of Health Tech – All Christians, No Muslim;
20. 16 Education Secretaries President – All Christians, Muslim, NIL;
21. 16 Caretaker Chairmen of Local Government Councils – 15 Christians, 1 Muslim;.
The statement read in part: “It may interest the reading public to know also that this is the same Ekiti State where, at different times and under different democratic governments, Muslims produced Deputy Governor, Secretary to the State Government, Chairmen and Members of Statutory Boards and Commissions, Special Advisers, Permanent Secretaries, Chairmen and Members of government parastatals, etc.
“However, in the wisdom of our fair Governor, what Muslims deserve in his government are just 1 SPECIAL ADVISER, 1 out of 16 LG Councils CARETAKER CHAIRMEN, 1 MEMBER of Ekiti State House of Assembly Service Commission out of the whole mammoths that he had appointed since October 16, 2014.
“As at the last count, the Governor, his Personal Assistant, Chairman of Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Council, his Local Government Area, a Senior Special Assistant, Environment and Traffic Control and one Education Secretary are all from Afao – Ekiti, the Governor’s home town. Charity, they say, begins from home and he who goes to equity should go with clean hands.President Buhari had appointed less than 20% of his political appointees out of which 22.5% are Southerners.
READ ALSO: Buhari And His “Bridge Breaking” Appointments
“Governor Fayose had appointed mere FOUR (4) or 0.05% MUSLIMS so far out of a mammoth of about EIGHTY (80) political and career appointees, representing at least 80% of total appointments he intends to make. What Muslims expect from Governor Fayose now is to re-appraise his appointments and make necessary amends. There are more than enough credible and well qualified Muslims, even going by the standard of the Governor, who are members of his political party in the State from whom he can pick.
“If he is in any difficulty in identifying them, the NSCIA in the State is ready to assist him. It is only when he does this that Muslims in Ekiti State will see his criticism of President Buhari’s administration as devoid of pettiness and share showmanship. The Governor should not take the civility of Muslims in Ekiti as weakness just as his claim to sincerity is subject to proof. The leadership of Muslims had prevailed on the Muslims in the State to maintain dignified silence in the phase of the obvious neglect for the sake of unity in the State.“
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