President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday appointed Babachir David Lawal as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and Alhaji Abba Kyari, Chief of Staff. The appointments were contained in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina. They are Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (retd.) – Comptroller-General, Nigerian Customs Service (NCS); Mr. Kure Martin Abeshi – Comptroller-General, Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS); Senator Ita Eg – Senior Special Assistant on National Assembly Matters (Senate); Suleiman A. Kawu – Senior Special Assistant on National Assembly Matters (House of Representatives). All the appointments are with immediate effect. Lawal, the new SGF, hails from Hong Local Government Area of Adamawa State. He graduated from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria in 1979 with a Bachelor of Engineering degree and worked with the Delta Steel Company, Aladja, Nigerian External Telecommunications Limited, now NITEL, and Data Sciences Limited before establishing his own ICT and Telecommunications consulting firm in 1990. He is also a member of the Nigeria Computer Society, the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) and the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN). Kyari, the new Chief of Staff, holds Bachelors and Masters degrees from the University of Cambridge and the University of Warwick in Law and Sociology. He has worked with the New Nigerian Development Company, New Africa Holdings, African International Bank, United Bank for Africa, Unilever and Mobil in various capacities over the years. The new Comptroller-General of Customs holds Bachelors and Masters degrees in Criminology. He was military administrator of Kaduna State from 1996 to 1998. The new Comptroller- General of Immigration, Abeshi, hails from Nasarawa State. He joined the NIS in 1989 as an Assistant Comptroller. His educational qualifications include a Masters degree in Public Administration. Mr. David Parradang was last week Friday suspended as the NIS boss. Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong, had on Monday led him to the Presidential Villa, Abuja to beg the President. With the appointment of Abeshi as the Immigration boss, Parradang’s fate is sealed. Meanwhile, the Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara, has hailed Buhari for appointing Mr. Lawal and Kyari. The Speaker stated all the appointees have distinguished themselves in their disciplines over the years and that they would bring on board very rich resume. While congratulating them, Dogara charged the new SGF to use his office to push for the rehabilitation, reconstruction and recovery of the violence-ravaged Northeast. He stated the people of the zone have not voted for Buhari in vein as they now feel more represented in the scheme of things with the appointment of people from the region into the government. Also reacting, former President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Dr Dozie Ikedife stated the South-East has not got a fair share of the appointments by the Buhari administration, but urged the people to wait until the appointment of ministers before crying over exclusion. He stated Ndigbo can even provide 80 per cent of those who can work with Buhari no matter the high standard of those that would constitute the cabinet. “It is clear to everybody that so far, Ndigbo have not got a fair share of the appointments which Buhari has made so far. However, let us not be too hasty as he has still many appointments to make”, he stated. For the former governor of Anambra State, Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife, who spoke from the United States said, he was short of words. He said: “I don’t understand what is happening and the motivation for what is happening”. Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Chief Yinka Odumakin, the latest appointments followed the same pattern of previous ones, most which came from a particular section of the country. He stated that the appointment reflects the 97 and five percent ration mindset of the President in terms of votes he garnered during the election. His words: “When he visited the United States, he made it clear that those who gave him 97 per cent votes cannot have the same thing with those who gave him five per cent votes. I do not think it is the best thing considering the mood of the nation now. I think the earlier he realized that, the better for the country. He should realize that inclusivity brings stability. Also, Aka Ikenga, an Igbo group, in a statement by its President, Goddy Uwazurike said: “The appointments are truly frightening. Are we still practising democracy in enshrined in the constitution? Does section 14 still operate or has it been expchanged? Federal character is central to the progress of this country. Aka Ikenga urges Mr President to ensure that this irreparable exclusion of Ndigbo is reversed,” he stated.
