News Buhari’s 100 days and invasion of Akwa Ibom Govt House

Buhari’s 100 days and invasion of
Akwa Ibom Govt House
: My
Position - Ayo Fayose
Governor of Ekiti state Ayo Fayose writes below...
(must read)
President Mohammadu Buhari’s government
is now 100 days and even though I align
with most Nigerians, who opined that 100
days is too short in the life of a
government, it is important to make some
clarifications as regarding the
administration. This is more so that the All
Progressives Congress (APC) and some
political jobbers that are looking for
appointments are praising the President,
citing imaginary achievements.
As at today, the only achievement recorded by
the President Buhari’s government is the
harassment of leaders of the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP) and those perceived as not on the
same political page with the president in his
party.
Former President Goodluck Jonathan and those
who worked with him as well as PDP governors
and leaders are now targets of harassment, and
by this, the president is telling Nigerians that it
does not pay to be honourable. Dr Goodluck
Jonathan was honourable enough to allow a
peaceful transition and conceded to the president
even though it was obvious that his victory was
questionable. Visiting such a person and those
who worked with him with persecution as being
done now, is no doubt a sad reminder of the
reason we have many sit-tight leaders in Africa.
Interestingly, some of those who worked with Dr
Goodluck Jonathan that the APC called thieves
are now being appointed to manage the affairs of
international organisations like the World Bank
and African Development Bank.
LOPSIDED AND ILLEGAL APPOINTMENTS
In the last 100 days of President Buhari,
appointments made have shown the president’s
insensitivity to the ethnic diversity of Nigeria
andcontempt for the Constitution of the country.
The South-East has been totally neglected as if
the likes of Dr Ogbonnaiya Onu who was earlier
touted as the Secretary to the Government of the
Federation and others in the region do not merit
appointments. This is unacceptable.
Appointment of Buharis’s in-law, Mrs Amina
Zakari as Acting Chairperson of the Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC); APC
member, Alhaji Lawal Daura as Director General
of the Department of State Service (DSS) and
Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (rtd) as the Comptroller-
General of the Nigeria Customs Service, clearly
violated the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria.
ANTI-CORRUPTION CRUSADE
While I am in total support of the fight against
corruption, it is my opinion that corruption can
neither be fought along political party lines nor
through the media.
What is being witnessed presently as fight
against corruption is mere noise-making, witch-
hunt and harassment of perceived political
opponents of the president. This is more so that
most of the political
allies of the President and those sponsored his
election are also being accused of corruption and
the president is looking the other way.
Most importantly, the Halliburton bribery scandal
must be revisited.
INVASION OF AKWA IBOM GOVT HOUSE
The major sore-point of the 100 days of President
Buhari is the last Thursday invasion of the Akwa
Ibom State Government House by armed men of
the DSS.
Nigeria is a Federation, with 36 States Federating
Units and in a federation, the component states
are in some sense sovereign.
Therefore, what happened in Akwa Ibom
Government House last Thursday was clearly a
government (FG) authorising the invasion of
another government (State Government). Even
during the dark days of the Military, it never
happened in Nigeria.
The invasion of Akwa Ibom State Government
House by armed men of the DSS deserves
condemnation from all men of goodwill, including
State Governors. It was Akwa Ibom last week; it
could be the turn of any other governor
irrespective of political party tomorrow.
Today, we are also being informed that it will
soon be the turn of Ekiti State. We await Alhaji
Lawal Daura’s men, but we assure him that Ekiti
people will always rise to defend their
government.
CONCLUSION
I commend the president for his efforts at ending
the Boko Haram insurgency and I wish to call on
all Nigerians to support the President in restoring
peace to the Boko Haram ravaged North Eastern
part of Nigeria.
As we look forward to the end of the honeymoon
of Buhari’s presidency, I wish to state that if
supposed men of honour are going underground
because of possible harassment and intimidation,
I, Peter Ayodele Fayose will not; because this is
our fatherland.
Most importantly, those regarding President
Buhari as a saint should know that he is not. The
president is not also the Almighty God that
cannot be questioned. After all, the beauty of
democracy is in credible opposition.
As for me, I have been comfortable before I
became governor and will not because of cheap
publicity deceive Nigerians with declaration of
cattle herds and mud houses as assets.
Today, I have expressed my mind concerning the
100 days of Buhari’s presidency as I did before
the election. This I have done basically to remind
Nigerians that I told them then, and it is
happening now.
May God be with the President and bless Nigeria.
Ayodele Fayose,
Governor, Ekiti State