Chieftains and members of the All
Progressives Congress (APC) are upbeat
about the reluctance of President
Muhammadu Buhari to make appointments
into federal parastatals as well as
Government Ministries, Department and
Agencies (MDAs).
Few days to the first anniversary of the
administration, the APC bigwigs are
displeased that Buhari is yet to overhaul the
parastatals and compensate loyal party
members with appointments.
The situation, according to those who spoke
with Ripples Nigeria under condition of
anonymity, is affecting morale among party
members.
They claimed many of their supporters are
restive they have not been compensated for
the emergence of the current administration.
Buhari, on February 15, sacked 26 Directors-
General of federal agencies and parastatals.
Those affected include: Nigerian Television
Authority (NTA); Federal Radio Corporation
of Nigeria (FRCN); News Agency of Nigeria
(NAN); National Broadcasting Commission
(NBC); Petroleum Technology Development
Fund (PTDF); Nigeria Social Insurance Trust
Fund (NSITF).
Others were: Nigerian Content Development
and Monitoring Board(NCDMB); Federal
Mortgage Bank of Nigeria(FMBN); Tertiary
Education Trust Fund(TETFund); Petroleum
Equalisation Fund(PET); Nigeria Railway
Corporation(NRC); Bureau of Public
Procurements(BPP) and others.
Over two months after, the hope of APC
stalwarts that more heads of parastatals will
go has been dashed.
The vacant posts have not been filled either,
with the sacked DGs asked to hand over to
the highest senior officials in their agencies.
The failure to replace sacked heads and
reluctance to relieve more agencies of their
leadership, which are handovers of the
previous PDP government, are tearing party
members apart.
Many of them said they have become
agitated by the failure of Buhari to bring
fresh hands on board.
One of them, a prominent party executive in
the South West, confided: “We are just few
days away from the first anniversary and we
are still waiting, unsure of what lies before
us.
“Many who worked for the success of the
party at the state and federal levels have not
been compensated or accommodated.
“There are still too many PDP members in
places of authorities. One wonders if Buhari
realises that APC members are angry with
him.”
Another said: “Many of us spent resources
and braved the odds to make sure this new
administration came on board. But we have
not received anything.
“In all democracies, you don’t support a
ruling government during elections without
getting anything in return. But it appears
Buhari is only contented with himself in
power. He seems not to care if others who
worked for him and the party are taken care
of.”
Another, a female from the North, said: “Not
having our party members in offices is why
this government is suffering. There are too
many saboteurs in the system.
“The longer the President keeps them on
board, the more damages they will cause him
and the nation. The President needs to
appease his party members first to win over
the nation.”
Investigations revealed that Buhari is taking
time to edge out the remaining Directors-
General because of the current economic
crunch.
A source in the presidency said: “The
President is aware that bringing new persons
on board will mean incurring higher costs
such as accommodation allowance and utility
bills. Once the economy rebounds, he will do
the needful.”
It was also gathered that Buhari is wary of
the wrangling among APC stalwarts over the
spoils of office.
The President, it was learnt, is working out
modalities on how to minimise the resultant
scrambling for posts among party elders.
It was learnt that the President has secretly
begun the process of considering who to put
in the over 6,000 pending federal
appointments.
Ripples Nigeria
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