By Olufemi Oni, Ilorin
A group, under the aegis of the Traditional Rulers and Leaders of Thought in the Kwara South Senatorial District of Kwara State, has vehemently defended all the appointments so far made by President Ahmed Bola Tinubu, saying they conformed with and took cognisance of the Federal Character Principles.
In a veiled reference to accusations by some northerners against Tinubu of skewed appointments in favour of his Yoruba ethnic group in the South-West, particularly the recent appointment of a Yoruba from Kwara State, Engr. Bayo Ojulari, as the new Group Managing Director (GMD) of the NNPCL, the group opined that all the appointments by the President into public offices depicted Tinubu’s sense of equity, fairness and justice.
The group, led by Sir (Dr.) Chief James B. Ayeni, disclosed this at a press briefing on Thursday in Ilorin, the state capital, adding that President Tinubu, by all the appointments made so far, has demonstrated that he belongs to all Nigerians, irrespective of region, religion, or ethnicity.
“By these appointments, His Excellency, President Bola
Ahmed Tinubu, has demonstrated that he belongs to all Nigerians, irrespective of region, religion or ethnicity”, the group added.
The Kwara South leaders, who said that the President was always guided by political clairvoyance and sagacity, added that the attributes guided him in “discovering talents, able hands and putting round pegs in round holes”.
The group was particularly ecstatic that their Senatorial District has benefitted from the fair and equitable distribution of appointments across the country, lauding President Tinubu for his act of magnanimity.
“The appointment of our children from Kwara South into various offices has rekindled our sense of belonging in the Nigerian Project”, they said, adding that: “The President can, therefore, be rest assured of our unwavering support for his administration and our unflinching loyalty to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Those appointed, they said, include
Prince Abdul-Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), Attorney-General/Minister of Justice, Engineer Bashir Bayo Ojulari, Group CEO, NNPCL,
Prince Sunday Fagbemi, Chairman Governing Board, National Cereals Research Institute, Badeggi Niger State and Professor Wale Suleiman, Chairman Governing Council, Federal University of Health Sciences, lla-Orangun.
Others are Engineer Nurudeen Adeyemi Balogun, Member, Board of Directors of TETFUND, Mr. C. 0. Adebayo Jnr., MD, National Agricultural Development Authority and Barr. Lanre Fálolá, Commissioner, Public Complaints Commission.
“We can say with humility, that Kwara South is a very fertile ground to hunt for and discover highly qualified technocrats, politicians of integrity, men and women of
great skills who can stand tall and be counted among the best in the word.
“Therefore, like Oliver Twist, we humbly request Mr. President to graciously keep an eye on Kwara South with a view to obliging us with more appointments,” the group added.
Chief Ayeni, who used the occasion to disabuse the minds of some people criticising beneficiaries of the FG’s appointments by saying they are from other zones of the country, and not Kwara State, said Kwara state has 70 percent of Yoruba speaking population, adding that the criticism was borne out of ignorance.
Kwara South leaders also commended efforts of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq in facilitating the appointments
and also for attracting some federal and state projects to their zone.
Meanwhile, the people called the attention of the Federal Government to the deplorable conditions of some roads in the area, especially, the Ilorin-Omu Aran-Egbe-Kabba road, appealing to the government to rehabilitate the road to enhance socioeconomic development.