A frontline politician from the southwest Nigeria, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, has challenged President Muhammadu Buhari over ethnic pressures to offer more federal appointments to persons from his ethnic leaning, the Fulani nation. Fani-Kayode had questioned the President against the backdrop of the refusal to renew the appointment of two Yoruba people in his appointment manning two federal agencies.
The Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Babatunde Fowler, was not retained for a second term on his appointment; the Chairman of the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), Muiz Banire, was also dropped. They were both replaced with two northerners.
President Buhari has sent the name of Edward Lametek Adamu, a deputy governor in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to the Senate for confirmation as Chairman of the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON). The board of the FIRS has also been reconstituted. Fowler is replaced with Muhammad Nami.
Fani-Kayode in his agitation protested that the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) is a Northern Muslim; NNPC- Northern Muslim; Comptroller General of Customs, Northern Muslim; Comptroller General of Immigration, Northern Muslim; Head of FIRS, Northern Muslim; PENCOM, Northern Muslim; Minister of Finance, Northern Muslim; Minister of Petroleum, Northern Muslim; all security, military, para-military and intelligence agencies, except for the Navy, Northern Muslims; INEC Chairman, Northern Muslim; Head of NPC, Northern Muslim; Chief Justice of Nigeria, Northern Muslim, President of the Court of Appeal, Northern Muslim.
Fani-Kayode farther expressed concerns that the three arms of the Nigerian government – the executive, judiciary and legislature are headed by northern Muslims, who include the president, CJN and Senate President.
More to come! Femi Fani-Kayode declared.