A retired Colonel, Abubakar Dangiwa Umar, has lambasted President Muhammadu Buhari over what he described as “skewed” appointments, OBSERVERS TIMES REPORT
The former military officer said this in an open letter on Sunday.
The letter warned that history will not be kind to Buhari if he continued to toe the path of alleged bias.
He raised alarm that the current situation will ruin to Nigeria and told the president to save his image by confirming a Christian as the next Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN).
Umar recalled how previous civilian and military governments they spread their appointments.
He said what obtains now is worrisome and condemnable.
Nowhere is this more glaring than in the leadership cadre of our security services”, he stated.
Umar stated that there are “no kind or gentle words to tell you that your skewed appointments into the offices of the federal government, favoring some and frustrating others, shall bring ruin and destruction to this nation”.
He said the president “cannot gloss over the chaos that has overtaken appointments into government offices in his administration”
Umar noted that all those who wish him the country well must mince no words in warning you that Nigeria “has become dangerously polarized and risk sliding into crisis”.
The he noted was on account of Buhari administration’s lopsided appointments “which continues to give undue preference to some sections”.
He cited how Buhari removed former Supreme Court Justice Walter Onnoghen as the Chief Justice of Nigeria which caused the speculations that Buhari didn’t want a Christian and Southerner.
Umar also cited the pending matter of appointment of a Chief Judge of the Court of Appeal.
He revealed that the most senior Judge, Justice Monica Dongban Mensem, a northern Christian, is serving out her second three-month term as acting Chief Judge without firm prospects that she will be confirmed substantive head.
“I do not know Justice Mensem but those who do attest to her competence, honesty and humility. She appears eminently qualified for appointment as the substantive Chief Judge of the Court of Appeal as she is also said to be highly recommended by the National Judicial Council.”
He said if she is is bypassed in favor of the next in line who happens to be another northern Muslim, that would be truly odd.
Umar warned that if this happened, “even the largest contingent of PR gurus would struggle to rebut the charges that you, Mr. President, is either unwilling or incapable of acting on your pledge to belong to everyone — and to no one.”