Nepotism in high places: Like Buhari, like Tinubu [Op-ed]
"All sensitive posts are held by Yoruba"
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Nigerians are lamenting that all sensitive posts under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu are held by Yoruba, another episode of the hallmark of the government of former President Muhammadu Buhari, which lasted eight years — 2015 to 2023.
In less than one month of after he was sworn in, President Tinubu has strategically and systemically appointed mostly Nigerians of Yoruba origin in key positions.
This was depicted in the recent press release issued by the Press and Public Relations Department of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, dated June 19, 2023, entitled “President Tinubu retires all Service Chiefs, Advisers, Comptroller General of Customs, appoints new ones“.
According to the statement, the President approved the immediate retirement of all Service Chiefs and the Inspector-General of Police, Advisers, Comptroller-General of Customs from Service and replaced them with immediate effect.
As seen in the breakdown below, Tinubu made a total of twenty-two (22) appointments in the statement signed by the Director of Information, Mr. Willie Bassey, on behalf of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
The newly appointed Officers include:
- Mallam Nuhu Ribadu National Security Adviser
- Maj. Gen. C.G Musa Chief of Defence Staff
- Maj. T. A Lagbaja Chief of Army Staff — — — — — Yoruba
- Rear Admiral E. A Ogalla Chief of Naval Staff
- AVM H.B Abubakar Chief of Air Staff
- DIG Kayode Egbetokun Acting Inspector-General of Police — — — — — Yoruba
- Maj. Gen. EPA Undiandeye Chief of Defense Intelligence
Other military officers in the presidential villa are:
- Col. Adebisi Onasanya Brigade of Guards Commander — — — — — Yoruba
- Lt. Col. Moshood Abiodun Yusuf 7 Guards Battalion, Asokoro, Abuja — — — — — Yoruba
- Lt. Col. Auwalu Baba Inuwa 177, Guards Battalion, Keffi, Nasarawa State
- Lt. Col. Mohammed J. Abdulkarim 102 Guards Battalion, Suleja, Niger
- Lt. Col. Olumide A. Akingbesote 176 Guards Battalion, Gwagwalada, Abuja — — — — — Yoruba
- Maj. Isa Farouk Audu (N/14695) Commanding Officer State House Artillery
- Capt. Kazeem Olalekan Sunmonu (N/16183) Second-in-Command, State House Artillery — — — — — Yoruba
- Maj. Kamaru Koyejo Hamzat (N/14656) Commanding Officer, State House Military Intelligence — — — Yoruba
- Maj. TS Adeola (N/12860) Commanding Officer, State House Armament — — — — — Yoruba
- Lt. A. Aminu (N/18578) Second-in- Command, State House Armament.
Two (2) additional Special Advisers, and two (2) Senior Assistants, include:
- Hadiza Bala Usman Special Adviser, Policy Coordination
- Hannatu Musa Musawa Special Adviser, Culture and Entertainment Economy
- Sen. Abdullahi Abubakar Gumel Senior Special Assistant , National Assembly Matters (Senate)
- Hon. (Barr) Olarewaju Kunle Ibrahim Senior Special Assistant, National Assembly Matters (House of Representatives) — — — — — Yoruba
He further appointed Adeniyi Bashir Adewale as the Ag. Comptroller General of Customs. — — — — — Yoruba.
Earlier, he had appointed former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, as the Chief of Staff — — — — — Yoruba.
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He also appointed:
- Folashodun Adebisi Shonubi as the Acting Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). — — — — — Yoruba.
- The Guards Brigade Commander. — — — — — Yoruba.
- Special adviser on special duties, communications and strategy — — — — — Yoruba.
- Special adviser on monetary policies — — — — — Yoruba.
- Director of Information at the State House — — — — — Yoruba.
- Special Adviser, Energy — — — — — Yoruba.
- Ag Comptroller General of Nigeria Correctional Service (appointed by former President Muhammadu Buhari in May and predated Tinubu) — — — — — Yoruba, as well as other less obvious appointments.
It is noteworthy that out of the thirty (30) appointments captured in this article, at least eighteen (18) are of the Yoruba ethnic stock.
An observer from the northern part of Nigeria, who said he voted for Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election, lamented that they never expected such treatment from him.
Speaking to News Band anonymously, he noted that with the sort of backlash received by former President Buhari over nepotism, nepotism hardly ought to be expected from any sincere leader.
“Tinubu seemed to be on a revenge mission against Buhari,” he said.
Another said: “Tinubu’s government is indeed ‘Government of the Yoruba, by the Yoruba, and for the Yoruba’.”
It could be recalled that nepotism, which is described as an act of corruption, was the hallmark of the Muhammadu Buhari-led government which exited on May 29, 2023. Read more.
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