The appointment of Mr. Yusuf Bichi as director general of the Department of State Services (DSS) over Mr. Matthew Seiyefa who had been acting as head of the agency since August 7, 2018 has caught the ire of the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders’ Forum (SMBLF).
The group, in a statement signed by Chief Edwin Clark (South-South), Chief Ayo Adebanjo (South West), Chief John Nwodo (South East) and Dr. Bitrus Pogu (Middle Belt), said the outright disregard for the conditions precedent for a united Nigeria and an inclusive country which the president is famous for had been taken to a new level with the removal of Seiyefa and replacement with Bichi.
The group said the “provocative” situation of having 16 out of 17 service chiefs from “his corner of the country is a clear demonstration of the fact that Nigeria for General Muhammadu Buhari is no more than his section of Nigeria and the resources and the constitutionally mandatory votes from other sections of the country.”
“We have looked critically at the profiles of the Acting DG who was removed and the one Buhari just appointed and it is crystal clear that Bichi does not come with any experience close to that of Seiyefa,” SMBLF added.
Also reacting, former aide to President Goodluck Jonathan, Mr. Reno Omokri in a post on his Twitter handle said Bichi’s appointment as new head of the DSS shows that Buhari is dead set on his Northernisation of government policy.
“I congratulate President Buhari for appointing yet another Northerner, Yusuf Magaji Bichi, to head the Department of State Security.
“Whoever doubted Buhari’s 97% versus 7% statement can now see the President is dead set on his Northernisation of government policy,” he said.
Similarly, the former governor of Cross River State, Mr. Donald Duke described the appointment as being against the clamour to broaden the nation’s security architecture to reflect federal character.
Duke who said the president had proved himself to be irredeemable tweeted: “PMB has just appointed Yusuf Magaji Bichi as substantive DG SSS. Against the clamour to broaden the heads of our nation’s security framework, PMB has proven himself an irredeemable irredentist. SAD!!!”
Senator Ben Murray-Bruce twitted: “Matthew Seiyefa was the ONLY Southerner heading an Intelligence agency in Nigeria. He was competent and loyal. In the interest of federal character and North South balance, President @MBuhari should have retained him. Bichi may be competent, but how can all Intelligence agencies be headed by Northerners?”
Read SMBLF’s full statement below:
Appointment of new DG-DSS: Buhari’s vote-of-no-confidence in One Nigeria.
The outright disregard for the conditions precedent for a united Nigeria and an inclusive country which President Buhari has become well known for was taken to a new height this evening with the removal of the Acting DG of DSS, Mr. Matthew Seiyefa and replacement with Mr. Yusuf Magaji Bichi from Kano.
The I-don’t-care and in-your-face attitude of the President in restoring Nigeria security architecture to the provocative situation of having 16 out of 17 service chiefs from his corner of the country is a clear demonstration of the fact that Nigeria for General Muhammadu Buhari is no more than his section of Nigeria and the resources and the constitutionally mandatory votes from other sections of the country.
Since 1960, Nigeria has never had a leader more sectional, narrow, parochial, and tribalistic like the current President who went on a global stage to divide Nigeria into “97 % and 5%”.
We have looked critically at the profiles of the Acting DG who was removed and the one Buhari just appointed and it is crystal clear that Bichi does not come with any experience close to that of Seiyefa.
The only qualification for this appointment is therefore only the rabid nepotism of the President which has seen him always masking personal and sectional interest as “national interest.”
Besides, Bichi is an out-of-the -system man drafted by Mr. Lawan Daura in the days of his nepotism rule at the DSS.
The next six most senior persons in line of succession at the DSS after Seiyefa are from our findings are all southerners which may explain why the President picked a man who already retired from the DSS to lead because of ethnic affinity.
That the President went ahead to deep himself further into the cocoon of ethnic irredentism in making this insensitive appointment shows clearly that he does not care a hoot about the unity, cohesion and oneness of Nigeria.
We reject this appointment and we do not shy in telling Mr. President that he no longer pretends that the country is one under him.
In the last few days, there have been fears coming from the international community about the dangers that would come the way of Nigeria if Mr. President returns for another term.
With his latest action, we add that the country is not safe in the remainder of his first term.
Lastly we ask Mr. President: Are we still one county?
Chief E.K Clark, South-South
Chief Ayo Adebanjo, South West
Chief John Nwodo, South East
Mr. Bitrus Pogu, Middle Belt.
