Oshiomhole Reacts To Buhari’s Lopsided Appointments

Against the backdrop of the widespread criticism that trailed the 29 appointments made so far by President Muhammadu Buhari, Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has rather commended the President, noting that the appointments were made purely on merit.

According to Oshiomhole, the recent appointments of the Chief of Staff to President Buhari, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Comptroller General of Customs and Presidential Liaison Officers to the National Assembly, were based on merit and not political sentiments or ethnic consideration.

The governor in a press statement issued and signed on his behalf by his Chief Press Secretary, Peter Okhiria, said; “The appointments are based on merit and not political sentiments or ethnic consideration as some tribal jingoists would have us believe. The Nigerian nation has come to a point where we have to use the best hands to confront the peculiarity of our problems.

“It is not all the time we descend to the level of geopolitical balancing; we need to employ unusual methods to solve an unusual problem. The level of decay in the country at present requires very seasoned hands and incorruptible Nigerians that would help to translate the APC agenda of change for the benefit of all Nigerians. We must not reduce governance to political patronage of bread and butter.”

According to Oshiomhole, “rather than condemning the President for taking this bold step, we should commend him for having the uncommon courage to take plausible decisions in the appointments he has made so far, as he settles down for the real task of governance.

“If we must make a huge difference in the lives of Nigerians, things must be done differently. We cannot continue to apply same template in the recruitment of persons and expect different results. The new appointees are Nigerians who have served the country in different capacities before now and deserved every bit of our cooperation and support to make them excel in their new jobs,” he added.

The Governor who congratulated the recently appointed men he described as having tall credentials, wished them well “in their new jobs of helping to sanitize a system that has become so rotten and corrupt as a result of manifest incompetence and mismanagement.”