Leon Usigbe, Author at Tribune Online

… wants review of existing appointments The League of Northern Democrats (LND) has criticised the recent reconstitution of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) board by President Bola Tinubu, raising concerns over what it describes as "the dominance of individuals from the president’s Yoruba ethnic group in key government positions." In a statement on Thursday signed by its spokesperson, Dr. Ladan Salihu, the LND acknowledged the president’s constitutional right to make appointments but warned that the pattern of appointments reflects ethnic bias, which could have far-reaching consequences for national unity and democratic governance. ALSO READ: UPDATED: Tinubu appoints Bayo Ojulari as new NNPC Group CEO The group highlighted several critical issues arising from what it perceives as lopsided appointments at the helm of NNPCL and other strategic government institutions It also identified ethnic tensions, cautioning that the perception of favoritism could exacerbate existing ethnic divisions, fueling resentment and threatening national cohesion. Another issue the group pointed out from the appointments is corruption and nepotism, arguing that a homogeneous appointment process could create an environment conducive to nepotism, where personal and ethnic loyalties override meritocracy and accountability. The group spoke of unequal resource distribution, saying that ethnic dominance in governance often leads to inequitable allocation of national resources, worsening economic disparities and intensifying socio-political unrest. On violation of the Federal Character Principle, the group maintained that the appointments contravene Nigeria’s federal character principle, which mandates fair representation of all ethnic and regional groups in public offices. The LND urged President Tinubu to reconsider the recent appointments, stressing the need for a more inclusive and balanced representation that reflects Nigeria’s diverse ethnic and political landscape. The group also called for a review of existing appointments to correct the perceived imbalance and restore confidence in the federal government’s commitment to fairness and national unity. Recall that President Tinubu approved the removal of Mallam Mele Kolo Kyari as the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the NNPC. Also sacked is the Chairman of its board Chief Pius Akinyelure. This follows his sweeping reconstitution of the board announced in a statement issued in the wee hours of Wednesday by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President (Information & Strategy). President Tinubu also removed all other board members appointed with Akinyelure and Kyari in November 2023. The new 11-man board has Engineer Bashir Bayo Ojulari as the Group CEO and Ahmadu Musa Kida as non-executive chairman. Adedapo Segun, who replaced Umaru Isa Ajiya as the chief financial officer last November, has been appointed to the new board by President Tinubu. Six board members, non-executive directors, represent the country's geopolitical zones. They are Bello Rabiu, North West, Yusuf Usman, North East, and Babs Omotowa, a former managing director of the Nigerian Liquified Natural Gas( NLNG), who represents North Central. President Tinubu appointed Austin Avuru as a non-executive director from the South-South, David Ige as a Non-executive director from the South West, and Henry Obih as a non-executive director from the South East. Mrs Lydia Shehu Jafiya, permanent secretary of the Federal Ministry of Finance, will represent the ministry on the new board, while Aminu Said Ahmed will represent the Ministry of Petroleum Resources. All the appointments are effective today, April 2. ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE