The claims were made under the auspices of the Southern Nigeria Peoples Assembly (SNP) at the meeting of the elders council held in Akure, the Ondo state capital.
The SNP, led by Chief Edwin Clark, a former federal commissioner for information, though expressing support for Buhari’s fight against corruption, kicked against what he termed his bias in the anti-corruption crusade.
Clark was joined at the meeting by members of the council which included: Senator Femi Okorounmu, the chairman of the presidential advisory committee on 2014 national conference; Rt. Rev. Emmanuel Gbonigi, a leader of the South-west delegation; Alex Ekuweme, a former vice-president.
Others include: a third republic Senator, Ngoji Denton-West; Chief Ebenezer Babatope, a former minister of transport and aviation; Professor Ikechukwu Madubuike; Kunle Olajide and Ndongesit Ekang, former military administrator of Akwa Ibom state.
Senator Tony Adefuye, a former Lagos state deputy governor, Senator Kofoworola Bucknor-Akerele, and Professor Olu Agbi were also in attendance.
Clark said: “The resolve of President Buhari’s administration to wage a decisive war against corruption which is essential to put Nigeria on the global map of business-friendly nations that will earn the country prosperity is a most welcome development.
“However, it is important to state that the dialectics of corruption, as pervasive and diverse, require a holistic fight to tame its pervading scourge. Thus, it must not be seen to be selective and limited to some perceived political enemies and foes to score cheap political points”
“As Nigerians, we are all equal without regard to race, creed and tribe. It is therefore my candid appeal to President Buhari to live his priceless mantra ‘I belong to everybody, but I belong to nobody’ in the manner, that the affairs of state are conducted, regardless of who gave him 95 per cent votes and five per cent of votes.”
Rev. Gbonigi, in his speech, appealed to the president to be total and non-selective in the fight against corruption, going after corrupt persons in all the political parties, unsparing even his closest political associates. The former Bishop of the Akure Anglican Diocese pointed out that justice and rule of law must reign supreme if the fight against corruption must be won.
Reacting to the issue of appointment to Buhari’s team, Bishop Gbonigi enjoined the president to ensure that: “no section of the country is marginalised in appointments and sighting of development projects. Elections are over and President Buhari is now the president over all Nigeria and Nigerians. No section of the country should be over patronised at the expense of others. It is therefore our sincere hope that the lopsidedness in the appointment made by Mr. President to date is not an indication of the trend of future appointments.”
Bishop Gbonigi however also condemned a situation where the President, Senate President, the Speaker and Chief Justice of Nigeria are all from the North.
“The South is not subservient to the North and the situation in which only the deputies are zoned to the south is not acceptable,” he concluded.
In the same vein, Ekuweme, who spoke for the South East through Prof. Ikechukwu Madubuike, affirmed that the ongoing anti-graft war of President Buhari must be holistic and not selective. The former vice-president also called for the restructuring of the country in line with the true federalism.
Ndongesit Ekang, who spoke for the South South, said except appointments are balanced, achievement would be minimal. Ekang recommended that the fight against corruption should go round the three tiers of government, adding that politicising the fight against corruption is a disservice to the country.
In his speech, Governor Olusegun Mimiko called for the implementation of the 2014 National Conference report, saying that the total restructuring of the country will “bring us to the Nigeria of our dreams”.
“It will be a disaster to confine the report of the conference to the dustbin of history,” Mimiko said.
Meanwhile, Afenifere, the Yoruba socio-cultural group, has cast aspersions over President Muhammadu Buhari’s favourable disposition towards implementing the recommendations of the report of the National Conference organised by the ex-president Goodluck Jonathan.
Rueben Fasoranti, the leader of the group, said at a media briefing in Akure, Ondo state, the conference, which the All Progressives Congress opposed, formed the blueprint for the common good of Nigerians.
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