Group lauds Buhari over appeal court president’s nomination

By Kingsley Chukwuka, Jos

Rights group, Lowe Niger Vanguard, has commended President Muhamnadu Buhari, for finally nominating Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, as the substantive President of the Court of Appeal.

The president had few days sent Dongban Mensem’s name to the Senate for confirmation after she had served two terms in acting capacity.

The inability of the president to appoint Dongban-Mensem as the substantive president of the appellate court had attracted the ire of lawyers and rights groups, who felt that the president by withholding her appointment, was promoting sectionalism to the detriment of national interest.

But the National Convener, Lower Niger Vanguard, Mike Melah, while describing her nomination as a step in the right direction, also urged the president to use the same measure to correct all other cases of perceived injustices in federal appointments.

Melah, in a statement made available to newsmen, said, “With the latest development, it can be safely concluded that Mr. President has been swayed by public opinion into doing the right thing. We commend the president for showing sensitivity to the mood of concerned Nigerians on this matter.

“With this appointment, the president has, for once, looked beyond religion and ethnicity in his appointment. This is what Nigerians have been yearning for.

“But the president can do more. He can seize the momentum of this appointment and use it to turn a new leaf. In fact, the president will be leaving his footprints on the sands of time if he uses this opportunity to right some of the wrongs occasioned by his previous appointments.

“The most urgent and compelling of them all at this time is the lopsided constitution of the Board of Trustees of the Police Trust Fund (PTF).”

The group recalled that like all well meaning Nigerians, they had drawn attention to the anomalous situation at the PTF where the Nigeria Police Force is being ceded to one zone of the country.

The group had said, “Here is the roll-call. Suleiman Abbah, chairman, Board of Trustees, ( Jigawa State); Ahmed Aliyu, executive secretary (Sokoto state); Kebbi and Kano are also represented on the board. Of course, we have Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi from Sokoto state as the Minister of Police Affairs,” adding that with this arrangement, the president had reflected neither regional nor zonal balance.

Lower Niger Vanguard was of the view that an institution that has everything to do with security of life and property such as the Nigeria Police should not be put in the hands of one section of the country. The arrangement does not even support the quest for a reformed Nigeria Police.