THE Southern and Middle Belt Leadership said President Muhammadu Buhari has exposed his rabid nepotism with the replacement of acting Director-General, Department of State Services, Mathew Seyeifa with Yusuf Bichi, a Kano indigene.

The forum said the nation had not had a more parochial, sectional and tribalistic leader than Buhari since independence.

The SMBLF in a statement signed by Chief Edwin Clark (South-South), Chief Ayo Adebanjo (South West), Chief John Nwodo (South East) and Dr. Bitrus Pogu (Middle Belt), noted that the latest appointment showed that the President did not believe that the country is one.

The elder statesmen said, “The I-don’t-care and in-your-face attitude of the President in restoring Nigeria security architecture to the provocative situation of having 16 out of 17 service chiefs from his corner of the country is a clear demonstration of the fact that Nigeria for Gen. Muhammadu Buhari is no more than his section of Nigeria.

“Since 1960, Nigeria has never had a leader more sectional, parochial, and tribalistic like the current President who went on a global stage to divide Nigeria into “97 and 5 per cent.”

The group said a critical review of Seyeifa’s profile showed that Bichi did not possess the same professional experience as the former acting DG.

“The only qualification for this appointment is therefore only the rabid nepotism of the President which has seen him always masking personal and sectional interest as “national interest.”

“Besides, Bichi is an out-of-the -system man drafted by Mr Lawan Daura in the days of his nepotism rule at the DSS. The next six most senior persons in the line of succession at the DSS after Seiyefa, from our findings, are all southerners which may explain why the President picked a man who already retired from the DSS to lead because of ethnic affinity,” the forum said.

By entrenching himself further into the cocoon of ethnic irredentism, the regional leaders said Buhari had demonstrated that “he does not care a hoot about the unity, cohesion and oneness of Nigeria.”

The group rejected the appointment and “we do not shy in telling Mr President that he no longer pretends that the country is one under him.”

– Sept. 14, 2018 @ 9:15 GMT |