A group under the aegis of the Traditional Rulers and Leaders of Thought in the Kwara South Senatorial District of Kwara State has strongly defended all the appointments made so far by President Ahmed Bola Tinubu, saying that they align with and respect the Federal Character Principles.
In a veiled reference to accusations by some northerners that President Tinubu’s appointments favour his Yoruba ethnic group in the South-West, particularly the recent appointment of a Yoruba from Kwara State, Bayo Ojulari, as the new Group Managing Director (GMD) of NNPCL, the group opined that all of the President’s appointments reflect a sense of equity, fairness, and justice.
The group, led by James B. Ayeni, made this statement during a press briefing on Thursday in Ilorin, the state capital.
They emphasized that, through these appointments, President Tinubu has demonstrated his commitment to serving all Nigerians, irrespective of region, religion, or ethnicity.
“By these appointments, His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has demonstrated that he belongs to all Nigerians, irrespective of region, religion, or ethnicity,” the group stated.
The Kwara South leaders, who praised the President’s political clairvoyance and sagacity, added that these attributes guided him in “discovering talents, able hands, and placing round pegs in round holes.”
They expressed particular delight that their senatorial district has benefitted from the fair and equitable distribution of appointments across the country, commending President Tinubu for his magnanimity.
They noted that the appointment of their sons and daughters from Kwara South into various public offices has rekindled their sense of belonging in the Nigerian project, and pledged their unwavering support for the administration and unflinching loyalty to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Those from Kwara South who have so far been appointed include Abdul-Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), Attorney-General and Minister of Justice; Bashir Bayo Ojulari, Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL); Sunday Fagbemi, Chairman, Governing Board of the National Cereals Research Institute, Badeggi, Niger State; and Wale Suleiman, Chairman, Governing Council, Federal University of Health Sciences, Ila-Orangun.
Others are Nurudeen Adeyemi Balogun, member of the Board of Directors of TETFUND; Mr. C.O. Adebayo Jnr., Managing Director of the National Agricultural Development Authority; and Lanre Fálolá, Commissioner at the Public Complaints Commission.
According to the group, Kwara South is a fertile ground for discovering highly qualified technocrats, politicians of integrity, and men and women of great skill who can stand tall and be counted among the best globally.
They therefore appealed to President Tinubu to keep an eye on the senatorial district and consider it for more appointments in the future.
Ayeni also used the occasion to respond to critics who have questioned the origin of some appointees, claiming they are not from Kwara State.
He clarified that Kwara has a 70 percent Yoruba-speaking population and described such criticism as a result of ignorance.
The group also commended the efforts of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq in facilitating the appointments and for attracting several federal and state projects to their zone.
Meanwhile, they called the attention of the Federal Government to the deplorable condition of some roads in the area, especially the Ilorin-Omu Aran-Egbe-Kabba road, and appealed for its rehabilitation to enhance socioeconomic development.
