In what appears like the formal end to a well deserved honeymoon period, a lot of focus has been increasingly focused on the ethnicity of the appointments made by the presidency. In analyzing President Buhari’s appointments, one has to consider a number of issues. Are the appointments sectional? Is the Nigerian government (as presently configured) now wearing a sectional appearance? If yes, what are the implications.
I think it is clear for all to see that the overwhelming majority of appointments made thus far by President Buhari have favoured Northern appointees. In respect of service chiefs and the security infrastructure of the Nigerian state, the President (with the exception of the NSA) simply switched the holders of the respective positions, held between Northerners and Southerners under Jonathan, around. If the position now is Northern centric, it then must be acknowledged that by implication the position under Jonathan was Southern centric.
In respect of the Presidency, it must be stated that not only has President Buhari’s appointments been Northern dominated but the presidency now wears an exclusively Northern look when one considers where his chief of staff, secretary to the presidency, head of protocol, head of the civil service, chief security officer and the National Secretary adviser comes from. These are the people that will have unrestricted access to the president and will have the ability to shape his views on contemporary government issues. The concern here is that every person North and South (irrespective of educational accomplishment) views situations or commences analysis from a given vantage point (at least at the outset).
The learned subsequently allows their views to evolve when subjected to more cogent alternate arguments and view points. Generally speaking, Northerners and Southerners tend to have differing world views. The Northerner is likely to view the country from the prism of the absence of corporate industries in the North, endemic poverty in the North, extremely high unemployment of its youth, progressive marginalization of the core North from its position of major influence since 1999. The southerner will more likely focus on the need to encourage capitalist activity within the country (specifically the south where most industries are located), continue policies that encourage Foreign direct investment and economic activity, the need to adopt policies that encourage the local management of the resources found within their respective zones in a manner that allows the south to continue to economically progress, unimpeded by economically constricting policies, in the way it has over the last 16 years.
Policies emanating out of the Government will be largely predicated on the world view of the people advising (or giving the first and last word to) the President on issues of importance from a federal government policy perspective. As presently constituted, the Presidency and the President will most likely have a reinforced Northern perspective on matters of economic, social and security policy. The result will be that policy decisions borne out of well argued (and most likely mutually reinforced biases) will be agreed within the presidency only to meet strident opposition by vocal sections of Southern Nigeria when that policy is decided upon and made public. Not a wise way to go in my view. His government will inevitably be seen as a sectional government advancing Northern issues.
On the issue of government appointments made thus far. One can say that most have been Northern. However, it will be disingenuous to state that the Nigerian government, as presently constituted (when considering President Buhari’s appointments and former President Jonathan’s appointments (that are yet to be removed at the present time)), is Northern dominated.
As we speak, looking at the current snap shot in time at the time of writing, the NNPC and the NLNG (major contributors to government revenue) are held by Southerners. Allied to this, FIRS (the tax generating arm of the Federal government) is also held by a Southerner. The Nigerian Ports Authority (another major revenue generator) is held by a northerner.
The financial regulatory space (where the minister of Finance, the co-ordinating minister for the economy, the DG of Pencom, DG of the Budget office, DG of the debt Management office, DG of RFMAC, DG of the SEC, CEO of NSE, DG of Amcon and CEO of the Sovereign Wealth fund all came from one tribe) has, under Jonathan, been exclusively “southern” dominated. Towards the end of Jonathan’s tenure, a DG of the SEC of Northern extraction was appointed. President Buhari has himself appointed a new DG of Amcon and a new Accountant general of the Federation (both of Northern extraction). The financial regulatory space remains overwhelmingly “Southern” dominated. The CBN governor has about 4 years remaining on his tenure. I believe the head of the Sovereign wealth fund has another year or two remaining on his statutorily guaranteed tenure as well.
A wise analysis of appointments must look at the appointments themselves and how those appointments affect the shape of the Nigerian government as a whole. It is indeed silly for the igbo to claim marginalization when it disproportionately holds (at the current time) most of the positions in government covering the financial regulatory space. It will also hold the Governorship of the CBN throughout the tenure of Buhari’s first term.
Another look at the Nigerian government will have to be made after all President Buhari’s appointments have been made to see whether the Nigerian government has become Northern dominated as opposed to focusing on Buhari’s appointments viewed in isolation and devoid of any contextualization.
Dele.Awogbeoba@gmail.com