By Sadiq Umar, Abuja.
The North East caucus of the All Progressives Congress (APC ) in the National Assembly has defended President Muhammadu Buhari’s recent political appointments criticised as being in favour of northern Nigeria, citing the U.S and UK as examples of cases where such had happened before.
Buhari came under intense criticism when he announced the appointment of Chief of Staff, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Comptroller General of Custom and Comptroller General of Immigration, as well as Presidential Assistants on National Assembly matters with all but one of the of northern extraction.
But the North East APC caucus in the National Assembly at a press briefing Wednesday, said there was nothing wrong in the appointments made so far by the President.
Senator Danjuma Goje ( APC Gombe Central), who spoke on behalf of the caucus said competence, integrity, trust, etc, were the yardsticks used by the President in making the appointments and not ethnic, religious or regional sentiments being clamoured for, by those criticizing him.
He cited examples of President Barrack Obama of United States of America and David Cameroon, the Prime Minister of United Kingdom, whom he said had made similar lopsided appointments.
According to Goje, “it is high time we got it right, it is not about where a man comes from but about what he can deliver especially in the interest of his people.” President Barack Obama had started with over 20 of his Harvard classmates and David Cameron of Britain started with most of his schoolmates.
“This has in no way made the news in those countries because they had their eyes set on bigger national picture”, he argued.
Goje said that appointments such as Secretary to the Government of the Federation ( SGF) , Chief of Staff to the President that some Nigerians are criticizing the president for, takes into account factors like closeness and trustworthiness of such appointees to the President.
He further argued that such appointments were also made by the immediate past administration of President Goodluck Jonathan.
