The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has expressed apprehensions that due to deep-seated Northern Moslems domination of all strategic federal appointments under President Muhammadu Buhari, including the skewed appointments in the Nigerian National Petroleum corporation (NNPC) and the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS), the next government may need to convoke a year-long National Constitutional Conference to try to mend the deeply broken fences.

The rights group lamented that in the last five years, the current administration has planted animosity between different ethnic nationalities than even the civil war created and that it will take the grace of God and the will to overpower our differences for Nigeria to rebuild the bridge of unity that the selective administrative style of the President has destroyed in the last five years.

HURIWA, in a media statement by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, and the National Media Affairs Director, Miss Zainab Yusuf, said that it is regrettable that even within the core Moslem North which enjoys the topmost juicy federal appointments made so far since the last five years of the Buhari-led administration, there is a widening chasm between the few elite who have cornered all the juicy positions on the offer but are controlling over 90 percent of the national wealth and the mass of poor street children and discontented but restive youths who out of frustration of being left behind in the apparent bazaar and sharing of national wealth by a few of their educated elites, have launched large scale social upheavals/violent skirmishes in the forms of armed banditry and outright unleashing of blood cuddling violence on soft targets in the North leading to destruction of many towns and communities and the massive migration from Nigeria to Niger Republic in search of security by millions of ordinary Northerners.

HURIWA noted that “the President Buhari government has skewed all strategic appointments to favour his cronies and political affiliates in the core Moslem North and a sprinkling of some Christian Northerners but millions of Northerners are left marginalized just like the heavily marginalized Southerners under the current administration.

“However, the impact is felt more in the far North whereby due to a large-scale state of wars by armed hoodlums many poor individuals in places like Sokoto and Katsina states have since the last two years migrated into Niger Republic for succour and security whilst only a few Northern elites with assets offshore are the few controlling the national assets under the watch of the selective Buhari administration.

“Last year, the Daily Trust reported that many Nigerians residing in Katsina State have fled to neighbouring Niger Republic to escape persistent attacks by kidnappers and bandits. In addition to evacuating their family members, the Nigerians are also acquiring plots and building houses in Niger Republic’s towns of Maradi and Dan Issa. This is even as some of them have obtained residence permit, allowing them to stay in the West African country.”

HURIWA blamed the unequal redistribution of national wealth for the total state of anarchy in the North even as the criminal activities of kidnappers heightened recently in Katsina State, with many residents falling victims or being forced to pay large sums of money to secure the release of loved ones.

Recalled the rights group: “In December 2018, Katsina Governor, Aminu Masari, raised alarm that the state was under the siege of kidnappers. Katsina’s neighbour, Zamfara State, has similarly seen a spike in kidnapping and banditry over the years, with hundreds of lives lost in 2018 alone. Most of the residents fleeing Katsina State are from Jibia Local Government Area, a community sitting on the border between Nigeria and Niger Republic.

“Senator Gobir representing Sokoto East, had only few hours ago told Nigerians that due to insecurity his constituents have mostly left for Niger Republic where they are assured of protection. This should tell President Muhammadu Buhari that his selective appointments of only Moslem Northerners into high profile appointments is worsening the state of insecurity in his region because these few elites only carry their family members along and since the masses are aware that their own people are running the show but the resources are not trickling down to the downtrodden so he who is on the ground marginalized has nothing more to fear than to fight to the finish to see if he can grab anything for himself.

“There is the need for social justice and fairness and federal character in appointments otherwise the mass uprising in the North may even be expanded to other parts of Nigeria.”

HURIWA recalled that the oil producing zones of South-South, South-East and South-West are left with one Chief Operating Officer position each, and a few senior and middle level positions which the group believed is not just only the cause of the widespread discontent across board in Nigeria but is a violation of chapter 2, Section 14 (3) of the Nation’s Constitution, which Mr. President swore on oath to uphold and defend.

The rights group similarly protested the lopsided dismissal and appointments at the FIRS saying that the exercise of retirements and new appointment of directors of FIRS.

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