The Yoruba socio-cultural organization, Afenifere, has described the lopsided appointments in the Nigerian Port Authority which favours the northern part of the country as a panacea for disintegration of the country if not corrected.
It would be recalled that the NPA while reacting to a report at the weekend confirmed that it has 22 General Managers, 15 of which are of northern origin while only seven are from the southern part of the country.
In a statement by its General Manager, Corporate and Strategic Communications, Engr. Jatto Adams, the authority has seven General Managers from the North-East; five from the North-West and three from North-Central making a total of 15 from the north as against only seven from the south made up of one from the South-South, two from the South-West and four from the South-East.
Reacting to the statement, the National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin, said the lopsided appointments by NPA is in violation of the constitutional provisions of the Federal Character Principle over the disproportionate appointment of General Managers in favour of the northern part of the country.
Odumakin who also disclosed that the matter has been filed in a court, warned that Nigeria risks disintegration if the lopsided appointment in the agency is left unchecked.
He said, “This is so annoying and it appears some people are just pushing this country towards a deliberate disintegration because there is no other justification or explanation for what they are doing.
“The northerners believe they have conquered the country and they can now treat the rest of us as slaves. We won’t allow that. As a matter of fact, as we speak, we are in court over the matter.
“There is no reason on this earth why northerners should dominate NPA. Can a southerner do that kind of thing in the north? They will never allow it. So are they insinuating that people here are fools or what? It is completely nauseating and annoying what is happening at the NPA.”