Clark tackles Buhari over appointment of Suleiman Abba as police trust fund chairman

A former federal commissioner for information, Edwin Clark, on Saturday faulted the appointment of the former Inspector-General of Police, Suleiman Abba, as chairman of the Police Trust Fund (PTF) board.

President Muhammadu Buhari had on May 5 appointed Abba as chairman of the PTF board in a bid to reset the country’s policing system.

He served as IGP from August 1, 2014, to April 20, 2015.

In a statement he personally signed, the elder statesman insisted that President Buhari breached the federal character principle by picking the Jigawa-born former police officer to head the trust fund.

Clark urged Buhari to take another look at his actions, especially on the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, and make amends in his remaining days in office.

READ ALSO: Clark demands Lai Mohammed’s prosecution for spreading lies about Obi

The statement read: “It is pertinent to state that the prerogative of ensuring that this aspect of the laws of the land is implemented and or executed lies squarely on the shoulders of the president of the country, presently, Muhammadu Buhari.

“However, it is quite disturbing that the same man who swore to uphold the laws of the land is flagrantly breaching them. A case in point is the recent re-appointment of Suleiman Abba as chairman, board of trustees, Nigeria Police Trust Fund, on May 5, 2023.

“Suleiman Abba is from Jigawa state, in the northwestern geo-political zone. The previous secretary of the fund, Mr. Abdullahi Bala is from Sokoto state, also from the northwestern geo-political zone. One expected that if the chairman of the board of trustees of the police fund is from the northern part of the country, the secretary should come from the south and vice versa because this is one of the ways of keeping Nigeria’s unity.

“But in appointing people to the board, President Muhammadu Buhari disregarded the provisions of the federal character as enshrined in the country’s constitution. President Buhari has a penchant for doing this. And this is very unfortunate.

“Today, President Muhammadu Buhari is eulogising and praising the legacy of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, his peaceful conduct during the 2015 general elections when he conceded defeat.

“The question President Muhammadu Buhari should ask himself is what legacy does he want to leave after his years as a civilian president? Is it that of compensating people with appointments, most times the juicier ones, for aiding and executing wrong acts, such as he has just done for Suleiman Abba and his cohorts, who were alleged to have conspired and worked to remove Dr. Jonathan from office at all cost? Is it that of breaching the constitution of the country? Is it that of nepotism? Is it that of leaving the country more divided and more devastated than he met it?

“There is still room to make amends within the remaining few days that Mr. President has embarked on appointing people to offices if it can be evenly distributed to all sections of the country, as stipulated in the federal character laws, and not in a manner of compensating wrongdoing.

“I also advise President Buhari to obey court rulings, including that delivered on Nnamdi Kanu. And as he winds up his tenure, to re-examine his actions.”

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