Jonathan’s aide defends Buhari’s appointments

The Special Adviser to former President Goodluck Jonathan on New Media, Reno Omokri, has backed President Muhammadu Buhari’s appointments, saying they were not lopsided as many claimed.

He said that the President could make all his appointments from one state as long as they are the best for Nigeria.

Omokri stated this in an article “As Buhari blazes the trail for merit,” published on Tuesday.

Justifying his position, Omokri said that in 2013, Nigeria won the African Cup of Nations because the country selected the best players, irrespective of their origins.

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He said, “In 2013, Nigeria won the African Cup of Nations. That victory was only possible because we selected our best players.

“A large proportion of the squad was from the South-East and the South-South, such as Vincent Enyeama, Austin Ejide, Chigozie Agbim, Joseph Yobo, Elderson Echiejile, Kenneth Omuero, Efe Ambrose, Azubuike Egwuekwe, Godfrey Oboabona, Mikel Obi, Reuben Gabriel, Nosa Igiebor, Obiora Nwankwo, Brown Ideye, Ogenyi Onazi, Ejike Uzoenyi, Ikechukwu Uche, Sunday Mba and Emmanuel Emenike.

“Nobody complained that this squad was lopsided because we knew these were our best and if we wanted to win we had to present our best. At the end of the day, they brought home the cup and that was all that mattered.”

Omokri said the average Nigerian was not concerned with who got what appointment. He said all the people were interested in was performance.

He, therefore, stated that merit should be the guiding principle of all appointments rather than ethnicity.

Omokri said, “Recently, there was a big uproar about the appointments made by President Buhari. I disagreed with those who complained that the President’s appointments were lopsided. “Appointments should not be made on the basis of ethnicity, region or religion.

“Appointments should be made strictly on merit! As far as I am concerned, the President can appoint all his appointees from the same state as long as they are the best Nigeria has to offer.”

Omokri also said that corruption was not really the problem of Nigeria.

According to him, the principles of federal character and quota system in the distribution of national resources were the root cause of corruption in Nigeria.

He added, “As long as ethnicity is the yardstick of admitting children into schools or recruiting adults into the civil service, we will never have a merit-driven system and where we do not have a merit-driven system, the end result will be corruption.

“President Buhari means well in his anti-corruption battle, but if a civil servant has to report to someone who is less qualified than him and who only got his position because of quota system or federal character, his morale would be low and he will not be committed and when an opportunity presents itself to be corrupt, that civil servant will seize it and he will not feel sorry or guilty.”