A prominent civil rights advocacy group, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), has stated that the decision by Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu to appoint his son-in-law as the head of the Federal Housing Authority (FHA), has not only sparked concern about nepotism, but amounts to deep rooted nepotism and a flagrant breach of the constitutional oath of office of the President swore to by President Bola Tinubu before he began his tenure on May 29, 2023.

The rights group also condemned the persistent breaches of section 14(3) of the Federal Constitution on the federal character principle by President Tinubu in his penchant to give all the most strategic appointments in the defence, finance and crude oil sectors to his kinsmen instead of spreading those appointments that touches on the National economy and in direct breach of the principles of merits and competencies. “We call on President Tinubu to be a statesman that he claims to be by giving appointments to Nigerians from every facets of the ethno-religious dimensions instead of concentrating appointments to his Yoruba kinsmen and to Hausa/Fulani northerners.”

Besides, HURIWA Condemns the president for continuing the dangerous practice which was done by immediate past President Muhammadu Buhari who all through his 8 years of miserable presidency, appointed his cousins, nephews into some positions in the Federal government considered to be juicy just as the Rights group stated that the Federal Housing Authority is a position considered to be very juicy due to the massive housing assets and funds available in the coffers of the Federal Housing Authority(FHA). “The argument that the son-in-law of the president is also a citizen who should get appointment, doesn’t follow because his father-in-law is the appointing authority which makes his appointment nepotistic and dishonourable.”

HURIWA stated that under the infamous administration of Buhari, his biological relations held some of the most powerful positions inside the presidential villa, a practice that violated the Federal character principles under Section 14(3) of the Constitution forbidding nepotism which is a similar practice that President Tinubu has continued from where his predecessor stopped. HURIWA blamed Buhari’s nepotistic appointments for the massive scale of corruption and economic crimes committed under the very nose of the immediate past President Muhammadu Buhari.

The rights group said it is traditionally believed in political circles that the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) is as juicy as the crude oil sector of the economy because that agency of the Federal ministry of Housing, is the custodian of all the landed assets owned by the Federal Government of Nigeria and these assets are indeed very massive and expensive.

HURIWA recalled that Mr. Oyetunde Oladimeji Ojo is married to Mr Tinubu’s eldest daughter, Folashade just as a dominant percentage of the domestic staff of the current President are all his former aides in Lagos when he held sway as Lagos state governor and even when his tenure as Lagos state governor was over and he wielded massive political influence as the political kingmaker and godfather of Lagos state political establishment, those same persons were his personal aides just as the Rights group said it was wrong to bring the same sets of people to the National government as if the office of president is a personal entitlement.

HURIWA recalled that whilst announcing his appointment, the presidency said the son-in-law of the president, Mr Ojo had “over a decade of work experience in the housing and hospitality industries”.

He is also a former member of the House of Representatives.

But the rights group said far beyond the case of nepotism, the decision by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to appoint his son-in-law into this Federal government position is a violation of his constitutional oath of office which clearly spells out as follows: “I, do solemnly swear/affirm that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to the Federal Republic of Nigeria; that as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I will discharge my duties to the best of my ability, faithfully and in accordance with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the law, and always in the interest of the sovereignty, integrity, solidarity, well-being and prosperity of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

HURIWA argued that the appointment of his son-in-law contradicts directly the aspect of his constitutional oath in which he swore thus: “That I will strive to preserve the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy contained in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; that I will not allow my personal interest to influence my official conduct or my official decisions…”

HURIWA stated that the president allowed a conflict of interest and permitted his family interest to override national interest in making such an unethical practice of appointing his son-in-law into the position as the head of the Federal Housing Authority just as the Rights group said it is inconceivable how the president expects the minister of housing who is his appointee, to issue official or administrative query to the powerful son-in-law of the president who is now a subordinate of the minister should this MD of FHA be found wanting of not following officially permitted code of conduct of a public officer.

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