Ohaneze Knocks Buhari Over Sectional Appointments

The youth arm of Ohaneze Ndigbo, an Igbo socio-cultural group, has joined the ranks of groups condemning President Muhammadu Buhari’s recent decision to replace the Director-General of Department of State Services (DSS) Matthew Seiyefa, a southerner with Yusuf Bichi, from the north.

The group, after their national executive meeting in Umuahia yesterday, accused the President of nepotism, adding that his appointments have shown he was not a fair leader.

The criticism which was conveyed in a communiqué signed by its Acting National Leader, Kingsley Dozie, National Secretary, Madubuike Uchenna and National Publicity Secretary, Osmond Nkeoma, said: “We expect Nigeria to be a country where all citizens, irrespective of their ethnicity, religion or region would have equal access to public office.

“The sack of Mathew Seiyefa, a southerner and his replacement with Yusuf Bichi, a northerner, clearly shows that President Muhammadu Buhari is sectional and tribalistic in his leadership.

“This action is a continuation of the insensitivity of the President Buhari government which is manifesting in most of the loop-sided appointments he has made.”

“The appointment of a person who has retired from service is in bad fate, confusing and dangerous to the service and to the country as a whole. This is because the DSS is supposed to be an internal mechanism to protect the country against enemies, both foreign and domestic.

“And it’s seen as a service where officers who are experienced and competent are supposed to lead without minding their tribe, religion or region but only efficiency, but when you bring someone who retired to head the service it’s improper.

“We don’t have personal issues with any of them but we believe that the idea of picking people in retirement to head a significant intelligence service is not proper; we reject it entirely.

“We see these as a deliberate policy of ethnic-based political domination, the President recalled a retired a Northerner to replace Seiyefa Mathew, a southerner who is competent to head the DSS.

“We have 16 service chiefs from one part of the country and Mr. President went ahead to replace Seiyefa from the South with a Northerner which we see clearly as a negation of the spirit of oneness.

“This shows that the unity of Nigeria means nothing to our President and has shown with this action that he is for some people and against everyone else.”