NEW DSS DG: You are parochial, tribalistic, Southern, Middle Belt leaders tell Buhari

The appointment of Mr. Yusuf Bichi as the substantive Director General of the Department of State Service, DSS, has drawn the ire of Southern and Middle Belt leaders, who described President Muhammadu Buhari as the worst tribalistic, parochial and sectional leader Nigeria has had since independence.

President Buhari appointed Bichi, a Kano indigene from the North West in place of acting Director-General, Mathew Seyeifa from Bayelsa State in the South South geopolitical zone.

SMBLF stated this in a statement signed by Chief Edwin Clark (South South), Chief Ayo Adebanjo (South West), Chief John Nwodo (South East) and Dr. Bitrus Pogu (Middle Belt), insisting that the latest appointment has shown that President Buhari does not believe that the country is one.

The forum said in the statement: “The I-don’t-care and in-your-face attitude of the President in restoring Nigeria security architecture to the provocative situation of having 16 out of 17 service chiefs from his corner of the country is a clear demonstration of the fact that Nigeria for Gen. Muhammadu Buhari is no more than his section of Nigeria.

“Since 1960, Nigeria has never had a leader more sectional, parochial, and tribalistic leader like the current President who went on a global stage to divide Nigeria into “97 and 5 per cent.”

Read also: Katsina will give Buhari ‘not less than 2.5 million votes’ in 2019— Gov Masari

Faulting the appointment of Bichi, the group said a critical review of Seyeifa’s profile showed that Bichi did not possess the same professional experience as the former acting DG.

“The only qualification for this appointment is therefore only the rabid nepotism of the President which has seen him always masking personal and sectional interest as ‘national interest.’

“Besides, Bichi is an out-of-the -system man drafted by Mr Lawan Daura in the days of his nepotism rule at the DSS. The next six most senior persons in line of succession at the DSS after Seiyefa, from our findings, are all southerners which may explain why the President picked a man who already retired from the DSS to lead because of ethnic affinity,” the forum said.

Continuing, the forum declared that President Buhari has demonstrated that he does care a hoot about the unity, cohesion and oneness of Nigeria by entrenching himself further into the cocoon of ethnic irredentism.

While rejecting the new appointment, the group said: “we do not shy in telling Mr President that he no longer pretends that the country is one under him.”

 

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