Ekwueme, Clark, others slam Buhari over biased appointments, anti-graft war



Southern leaders under the auspices of the Southern Nigeria Peoples Assembly (SNP), on Tuesday, ‎slammed President Muhammadu Buhari over what they described as his lopsided appointments and selective fight against corruption.

Ekwueme-Gbogini-Clark
Speaking at the meeting of the elders council held in Akure, the Ondo state capital, the SNP led by Elder statesman & former Federal Commissioner for Information, Chief Edwin Clark, although expressed support for President Buhari’s fight against corruption, but kicked against being selective.
Leaders of the council who also joined Chief Clark at the meeting were Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee on 2014 National Conference, Senator Femi Okorounmu; leader of the Southwest Delegation, Rt. Rev. Emmanuel Gbonigi‎; former Vice President, Alex Ekuweme; A third Republic Senator, Ngoji Denton-West;  former Minister of Transport and Aviation, Chief Ebenezer Babatope; Prof Ikechukwu Madubuike, Kunle Olajide and former military Administrator of Akwa Ibom State, Ndongesit Ekang.
Others were Senator Tony Adefuye, former Lagos State Deputy Governor,‎  Senator Kofoworola Bucknor-Akerele, Prof Olu Agbi among others.
Speaking at the meeting, Chief Clark said: “The resolve of President Buhari’s administration to wage a decisive war against corruption which is essential to put Nigeria on the global map of business friendly nations that will earn the country prosperity is a most welcome development.
“However, it is important to state that the dialectics of corruption, as pervasive as diverse, require a holistic fight to tame its pervading scourge. Thus, it must not be seen to be selective and limited to some perceived political enemies and foes to score cheap political points.
“For Nigeria to succeed in the war to eliminate the cancerous spread of this malaise, all those who contributed in one way or another to ruin the prospects of a great country like Nigeria and have brought us to this despicable position should be made to account for their actions.
“It is only when the battle against corruption is genuinely and seriously fought without fear of favour that endearing legacies of a transformed country could bequeathed to future generations.”
Clark added that “As Nigerians, we are all equal without regard to race, creed and tribe. It is therefore my candid appeal to President Buhari to live his priceless mantra ‘I belong to everybody, but‎ I belong to nobody’ in the manner, that the affairs of state are conducted, regardless of who gave him 95 percent votes and 5 percent of votes.”
In his submission, Rev. Gbonigi appealed to the president to be total and non-selective in the fight against corruption, going after corrupt persons in all the political parties, unsparing even his closest political associates.
The former Bishop of the Akure Anglican Diocese pointed out that justice and rule of law must reign supreme if the fight against corruption must be won.
On appointment of Buhari’s team, Bishop Gbonigi appealed that the President should ensure that ‎”no section of the country is marginalized in appointments and sighting of development projects. Elections are over and President ‎Buhari is now the President over all Nigeria and Nigerians. No section of the country should be over patronized at the expense of others. It is therefore our sincere hope that the lopsidedness in the appointment made by Mr President to date is not an indication ‎of the trend of future appointments.”
Bishop Gbonigi also condemned a “situation where the President, Senate President, the Speaker and Chief Justice of Nigeria are all from the North is not acceptable. The south is not subservient to the North and the situation in which only the deputies are zoned to the south is not acceptable.
Similarly, former Vice President, Alex Ekuweme who spoke for the South-East through Prof. Ikechukwu Madubuike, affirmed that the ongoing anti-graft war of President Buhari must be holistic and not selective.
The Ex-Vice President also called for the restructuring of the country in line with true federalism.
On his part, Ndongesit Ekang, who spoke for the South-South said except appointments are balanced, achievement will be minimal.
Ekang recommended that the fight against corruption should go round the three tiers of government, adding that politicizing the fight against corruption is a disservice to the country.
Governor Olusegun Mimiko called for the implementation of the 2014 National conference saying that the total restructuring of the country will bring “us to the Nigeria of our dreams,” adding that “it will be a disaster to confine the report of the conference to the the dustbin of history.http://www.vanguardngr.com/category/sports/

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Our dinosauric president is still the same old vindictive tribalist...... nothing has changed.

H

I'm beginning to feel proud of my Ndigbo.

Let them keep shut they are part of those that has brought the country to this level and helped in misadvising GEJ

The insincerity of this group is glaring. Why convene a Southern Elders Assembly and then attack the President on partisan issues?

Are most of those picked up and prosecuted for corruption so far not northerners? Have the people charged so far (Lamido, Nyako, Dasuki etc) not been northerners? What is selective about the fight? Has the President made even 10% of his appointments?

This sounds more like a Southern PDP Elders Assembly.

Buhari should be impeached!
All his appointments of hausafulanikanuri muslims only should be reversed!

Am glad that we have such elders in this country who can still voice out the mind of the masses. Buhari needs to know that Nigeria belongs to the whole Nigerians and not only to the Northerners. Thank you my elders. You have all spoken well.

PDP "elders" are scared.

Sheer desperation forced that Akure Meeting.

They speak for themselves and their belly nothing more. As long as the people are behind the president. With the representative government Jonathan ran what did he achieve? Bunch of charlatan jokers. We want the job done, THAT IS ALL THAT MATTERS. If Buhari likes let the cabinet be made up of chickens, as long as the job gets done, no one will care (except political charlatans) period.

As for the anti-graft war. As long as those caught are actually guilty, I don't understand this preoccupation and obsession with defending my thief who stole from me over your thief who stole from you, it's nothing but a race to the bottom and I can't believe any right thinking Nigerian whose brain isn't infested with bigotry would not be in support of ANY attempt at a real anti-graft fight considering we have NEVER had any government seriously tackle the issue in this fourth republic. Shame an these so called "leaders" who claim to speak for their people.

christinie:
Am glad that we have such elders in this country who can still voice out the mind of the masses. Buhari needs to know that Nigeria belongs to the whole Nigerians and not only to the Northerners. Thank you my elders. You have all spoken well.

The same people that ensure that, like your parents before you, life will be lived through hardship and without the basic social amenities to make your existence on earth a joyful and easy one?

You're insane.

SkyBlue1:

As for the anti-graft war. As long as those caught are actually guilty, I don't understand this preoccupation and obsession with defending my thief who stole from me over your thief who stole from you, it's nothing but a race to the bottom and I can't believe any right thinking Nigerian whose brain isn't infested with bigotry would not be in support of ANY attempt at a real anti-graft fight considering we have NEVER had any government seriously tackle the issue in this fourth republic.

Clear thinking, bless this post.

Useless and irrelevant elders seeking relevance by whipping up silly ethnic and religious sentiments. Majority of Nigerians are in support of the presidents fight against corruption so, these jobless elders should please stop distracting him with their silly advises.

And all this talk about appointments coming from just one zone is rubbish. A Nigerian is a Nigerian irrespective of where he comes from. And if I may ask, in real terms, what benefits accrues to a zone where a big political appointment is made from? The South got all the juicy appointments under GEJ and I benefited nothing from them despite being a southerner. So, what's the cry about?

fulanimafia:
The insincerity of this group is glaring. Why convene a Southern Elders Assembly and then attack the President on partisan issues?

Are most of those picked up and prosecuted for corruption so far not northerners? Have the people charged so far (Lamido, Nyako, Dasuki etc) not been northerners? What is selective about the fight? Has the President made even 10% of his appointments?

This sounds more like a Southern PDP Elders Assembly.

What the hell do you mean by. "Partisan" issues?

seunmsg:
Useless and irrelevant elders seeking relevance by whipping up silly ethnic and religious sentiments. Majority of Nigerians are in support of the presidents fight against corruption so, these jobless elders should please stop distracting him with their silly advises.

And all this talk about appointments coming from just one zone is rubbish. A Nigerian is a Nigerian irrespective of where he comes from. And if I may ask, in real terms, what benefits accrues to a zone where a big political appointment is made from? The South got all the juicy appointments under GEJ and I benefited nothing from them despite being a southerner. So, what's the cry about?

Lol majority of the people in that summit are even yorubas.Appointments were evenly distributed during GEJ's time unlike what this stupid illiterate is now doing

christinie:
Am glad that we have such elders in this country who can still voice out the mind of the masses. Buhari needs to know that Nigeria belongs to the whole Nigerians and not only to the Northerners. Thank you my elders. You have all spoken well.

what opinion, what masses? My dear wake up. They're only fighting for their own pocket and not your welfare.

chukwudi44:


Lol majority of the people in that summit are even yorubas.Appointments were evenly distributed during GEJ's time unlike what this stupid illiterate is now doing

Majority of the floor members at the summit are PDP members from Ondo state. That should be expected because Gov. Mimiko hosted the summit. The conveners, however, are bigoted elders whose only claim to relevance is by stoking the fire of ethnic and religious division. If they can't help to unite the country at their old age, they should quit trying to divide it for relevance sake.

GEJ ran the most divisive government in the history of Nigeria. His appointments were far from being evenly distributed.

chukwudi44:

What the hell do you mean by. "Partisan" issues?

Read on and understand.

These wailing wailer elders and closet PDP members.
No one should take these old men serious.
In Nigeria history, GEJ admin holds the most divisive govt in Nigeria. It was under his government Igbos started their chop-sand syndrome mentality.

seunmsg:


Majority of the floor members at the summit are PDP members from Ondo state. That should be expected because Gov. Mimiko hosted the summit. The conveners, however, are bigoted elders whose only claim to relevance is by stoking the fire of ethnic and religious division. If they can't help to unite the country at their old age, they should quit trying to divide it for relevance sake.

GEJ ran the most divisive government in the history of Nigeria. His appointments were far from being evenly distributed.

Why dont you do an analysis of GEJ's appointments and justapose it with the 97% : 5% ratio this dullard is using and tell me what you come up with!!!!

Yeye dey smell.

We know the rest and what they stand for. But what was bishop Gbonigi doing there. #self-centred 'elders'.

You fight corruption , they talk, you don't fight corruption, they talk. Abeg, make person hear word.

By the way, did buhari appoint the senate president, speaker or head of the judiciary?

This is more like PDP elders who are still bitter about the devastating loss at the last polls.

I kuku trust PMB, na ignore button im go press.

The only bases on which we have supporters for this regime is the cancer of tribalism nothing else. Buhari shuold not be in power in today's nigeria that wants to move ahead on all indices

Clark is back, welcome from the GEJ comma

The heat is getting close to these bunch of looters!
Let PMB quickly set up the fast track courts and let them get to work immediately.
Bunch of unrepentant looters!

I'm very proud of this group. Buhari should resign now or be disgraced

Pangea:
The heat is getting close to these bunch of looters!
Let PMB quickly set up the fast track courts and let them get to work immediately.
Bunch of unrepentant looters!

which heat. Buhari is only fighting corruption on the pages of newspapers. Tell me one corrupt person he has successfully tried. Has Buhari even led the fight by declaring his assets as he promised?

You cursed GEJ that he only appointed his people and left out the yorubas, which was a blatant lie. What has changed since then?

Now, you don't see anything wrong with appointing a whole zone. But, the yorubas were all shouting out of jealousy even though GEJ appointed lots of them, that he was biased. Now, you are here saying, they can appoint a zone and it doesn't matter, by the way we are all Nigerians... what a hypocrisy.

And the cycle continues. Tomorrow, another person becomes president and appoints his people, please don't complain ooo. Just come out with your usual...... they are all nigerian then oooooooo.

seunmsg:
Useless and irrelevant elders seeking relevance by whipping up silly ethnic and religious sentiments. Majority of Nigerians are in support of the presidents fight against corruption so, these jobless elders should please stop distracting him with their silly advises.

And all this talk about appointments coming from just one zone is rubbish. A Nigerian is a Nigerian irrespective of where he comes from. And if I may ask, in real terms, what benefits accrues to a zone where a big political appointment is made from? The South got all the juicy appointments under GEJ and I benefited nothing from them despite being a southerner. So, what's the cry about?

Lol. The people that appear to be whining the most about this anti corruption crusade of Mr President are people who've held very high positions in the country. They believe if this war rages long enough, it just might consume them eventually, so they wanna hide under the cloak of "fairness" to blackmail the president and make him take his foot off the gas pedal. They talk about appointments as though they are fast going hungry. The grim reality is that these men only survive on free meals from the government like refugees whereas ordinary Nigerians sweat it out on the streets daily earning an honest living without whining about who gets appointed or not. What a shame.

On the sidelines let me add an interesting part:

“For Nigeria to succeed in the war to eliminate the cancerous spread of this malaise, all those who contributed in one way or another to ruin the prospects of a great country like Nigeria and have brought us to this despicable position should be made to account for their actions.

I thought these men agreed with the ex president corruption is overrated and that he fought it to a stand still "without making noise" like Baba, and built an Eldorado that is an envy of even south Africa- so can someone tell me- where are the bolded in the quotes above coming from