Ministerial Nominees: Why Adamawa Deserves More Umar Duhu

Umar Duhu

The president has been hailed as the man for the cause to deliver Nigeria from the many tentacles of her many troubles in the last couple of months.

They are not far from the truth and the ministerial list, to a huge extent, is proof of that fact – except in the case of Adamawa.

As a leader of the All Progressives Party (APC) in Nigeria, I am compelled to state that I am surprised that the president did not think the people of Adamawa to be deserving of a more suitable nominee than the choice he made.

I must state, in all honesty, that I am not too comfortable with the last batch of the ministerial appointments released by President Muhammadu Buhari. The appointment of a minister as it relates to Adamawa State, falls short of the expectations of the political class in Adamawa State.
True, it is the prerogative reserve of PMB to, unilaterally, appoint anyone of his choice, but it couldn’t have been one who has not added a single political relevance to the conception, nurture and execution of the ideals of the APC in Adamawa State or Nigeria as a whole. This choice from Adamawa State suggests that loyalty is no longer a yardstick for reward, which is reciprocal.

I have been a loyal party leader all my life. I never changed camp since 1999 and, best of all, I have been in the APP, ANPP and, now, APC. I was the pioneer national vice chairman, North East, of the APC. I knew the turbulent circumstances I underwent to get the APC in Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe and Taraba states. There were several other party men and women who had put in all their best to the formation of APC too. But out of the blue, President Buhari waived all these considerations aside, motioning that, none of us could satisfy his choice of a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Has he forgotten, so soon, that, it was sacrifice and courage that we mustered to prevent the intimidations of the regimented PDP government, to defend the ideals and votes of the APC to victory? This was the least a loyal party men could do for his party and, at the end of it all, he or she deserves compensation for loyalty and hard work.
As it goes now, the actions of the president for non-consultations and reward for excellence, is completely dampening the morals of every loyal and dedicated party leader and members.

Mohammad Bello is a fine gentleman and well cultured, but he is not a politician. There are several organisations and establishment that he could fit in to put in his best. True, Mohammed is qualified for any other appointed deemed fit by the president, but that of a minister who’s supposed to be of the political class, while seeing to the needs of the citizenry, the APC and the Presidency…is far-reaching. The president should have taken into consideration that Adamawa State, as one which is ruled by the APC, deserves better too.

Though PMB has made up his mind to appoint Mohammed Bello, for considerations best known to him, the president must, as a matter of necessity, create deliberate appointment portfolios to balance up the lopsidedness that abounds in Adamawa State. We are shareholders in the APC Nigeria Project, so we do not have to migrate to live in Kaduna to get closely identified or get appointed into the president’s cabinet or made a part of his government.
Duhu wrote in from Abuja and can be reached via galadimadluku@gmail.com