Group Cautions Gov. Sule on Lopsided Appointments
By Moses Gbande
The leadership of the Middle Belt Journalists Forum, MBJF, has warned on the consequences of allowing ex-Governor Tanko Almakura to influence the appointments of Gov. Sule’s new team.
The group however appeals to Gov Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State to avoid such evil influence from his predecessor which will ruin his second term.
President of MBJF, Jonathan IPAA, said in a press statement in Abuja that the lopsided list of new Commissioners and Advisers before the State House of Assembly has sidelined other ethnic groups in the state, as a political miscalculation.
The media pressure group also said there is a grave danger ahead if the governor ignores this wise counsel in preference of his mentor, ex Gov Almakura who himself did not ignore these stakeholders in his cabinet, is advising Governanor Sule to do what he couldn’t do.
The Middle Belt Journalists Forum MBJF had drew the attention of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, NSHA on the lopsided appointments, asking for a rejection and declining of their assent.
“We read the list of 18 Special Advisers and Honourable Commissioners sent to the state lawmakers for approval as very biased. We noted that the diversity of the state wasn’t taken care of in the list.
“We therefore advise the state legislature to take note of the lopsidedness in the selection of the new cabinet and reject the list from the governor.”
The forum added that, “without the fear of the reactions from some hired hands, Governor Sule shouldn’t be allowed to put the state into a religious and ethnic chaotic stage just because he wants to satisfy his godfather to secure a second term.”
MBJF believes “Governor Sule was yielding too much to his mentor, Sen. Tanko Almakura who is aspiring for the National Chairmanship of the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC, by reducing certain ethnic groups to second class status.
The media group insisted that ignoring the sensitivity of the diversity of the young state will not go without political consequences especially, it will throw open to anarchy if religion was elevated as the major yardstick for appointments into the state cabinet.
NSHA Assembly last week unveiled the list of 15 Commissioner Nominees and 18 Special Advisers as sent by Governor Abdullahi Sule to the assembly for screening and confirmation.
Some ethnic groups including the Tiv and Mighili with almost a half million voting population have cried out for marginalization as none was either consulted nor included in the new cabinet.
The forum advised Governor Sule to ignore the evil counsel of Almakura who himself appointed his Commissioners from these ethnic groups, but wants them punished because they voted the opposition PDP against Almakura in the last election.
The statement suggested that a reconsideration of the list was a panacea towards dousing down the existing tension since the cabinet list was unveiled by the state assembly last week.
