Nepotism: Femi Adesina says appointments are placed within the prerogative of the president and not federal character

The Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari, Femi Adesina, has clarified that the appointment of service chief is placed within the prerogative of the president and not subject to ethnic balancing or federal character.

Recall that since his assumption into office in 2015, Mr Buhari had been accused of nepotism and lopsided appointments, especially that of the service chiefs.

But while appearing on Channels TV current affairs programme, ‘Politics Today’, Mr Adesina said the president enjoys the right to appoint those he feels are competent and can do the job of securing the country.

He said: “Don’t subject security to ethnic balancing, don’t subject security to federal character.

“In fact, the constitution that prescribes federal character even gives the president some prerogatives that he can appoint on his own.

“Security is something you don’t subject to politics. Security is you bring your best foot forward.

“Look at the echelon of security agencies still 2015, would you honestly say they have all been from one part of the country? Who was the chief of naval staff in the first term of this administration?

“Was it not a man from Cross River State? Who was the Inspector General of Police at that time? Was it not a man from Edo State? Solomon Arase.

“Security is something you do based on the best. The best and the brightest because all you want is for your country to be secured.

“The President usually said unless you have secured the country or even an organisation, you cannot efficiently manage it.

“So, you get the best that can help you secure the country. People who begin to subject the headship of security agencies to where it comes from don’t know what they are talking about,” Mr Adesina said.

When asked if it was only the northern region that had the best hands to secure the country, the presidential spokesman said: “What the constitution requires of him is balancing in terms of each state being represented, in terms of certain positions.

“Most of those positions are prescribed, security is not part of it. A President will always have the prerogative to appoint those he feels will help him secure the country and have the kind of country he desires to have.”