President Goodluck Jonathan has been told some home truths about the wave of new appointments and removals.
He should be courteous, elder statesman and war hero Gen. Adeyinka Adebayo said. The 87-year-old former Western Region governor is displeased at the manner of his removal as University of Ibadan (UI) pro-chancellor.
After his March 28 electoral loss, President Jonathan has gone on a strange sacking spree. He has also been making appointments, insisting that he is still in charge till May 29.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has kicked against the last-minute action.
Undaunted, the President yesterday removed the Executive Secretary/Chief Executive of Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), Mrs. Saratu Altine Umar.
A statement by presidential spokesman Reuben Abati, which announced her removal, named Mrs. Uju Aisha Hassan-Baba as the new Executive Secretary/Chief Executive of NIPC.
Gen. Adebayo, who was eased out of his post less than two years into a four-year tenure , deplored the manner of his removal.
In a letter to President Jonathan, which our correspondent obtained, Gen. Adebayo also fingered Minister of Education Malam Ibrahim Shekarau in the “discourteous” and “disrespectful” way he was treated.
The 87-year-old father of former Ekiti State Governor Adeniyi Adebayo, admonished the President to imbibe the culture of respecting elders in addition to demonstrating civility in his public conduct if given the chance to rule the country again or to be in any leadership role.
Until his controversial removal via a published newspaper advertisement, the former military governor of the defunct Western Region was the chairman of the Governing Council of the University of Ibadan (UI).
The letter, dated May 7, also berated Jonathan for not having the courage to inform Gen. Adebayo of his removal considering how he was prevailed upon to accept the appointment.
He got wind of his removal through the Vice Chancellor and Registrar of the institution.
The letter reads: “I am constrained to express my most profound dismay at the rather unceremonious manner I came to be informed of my removal as chairman of the governing council of the University of Ibadan. Indeed it was communicated to me by the vice chancellor and registrar, when they visited me at my residence in Lagos.
“I was informed that the Hon. Minister of Education Ibrahim Shekarau had caused an advertorial to be published in The Guardian Newspaper of Thursday, the 30th of April, announcing the appointment of members of the governing council of twelve (12) new federal universities and four (4) new federal polytechnics, as well as the chairmanship change for the University of Ibadan.
“In effect, through that publication, I had been relieved of my duties as Pro Chancellor and another person had been appointed in my stead without the courtesy of even a phone call.
“At the risk of sounding immodest, I must say that I do not deserve such indecorous treatment from your Minister of Education, who I believe must have acted with a measure of approval from you or your office.
“However, as an elder and given the fact that you and some of my children are age mates, I feel an obligation to admonish you to be courteous in your approach to governance.
“True your time in office is short, but who knows, providence may yet again smile on you, and you might once again mount the saddle of leadership. Whenever this happens and even if it never does, my prayer for you is that you imbibe the culture of civility in your future endeavours.
“This abrupt termination of my tenure, while being seen as a welcome respite by my children and grand children, is all the same quite demeaning of my person.”
Shekarau last month announced the appointments of members of the governing council of 12 new federal universities and four new federal polytechnics, as well as the chairmanship change for the University of Ibadan.
The governing boards have since been inaugurated. A new pro-chancellor had been appointed for the premier university.
Also sacked by the president after his electoral defeat are Inspector General of Police Sunday Abba; Director General, National Sports Commission (NSC) Gbenga Elegbeleye; Executive Secretary, National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Dr. Femi Thomas – Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mallam Habib Abdullahi and Executive Secretary, Petroleum Equalisation Fund (PEF), Mrs Sharon Kasali. They were all replaced.
There were comments yesterday on the President’s actions.
The Conference of Nigerian Political Parties(CNPP) and a senator-elect, Comrade Shehu Sani, condemned the “last-minute” appointments being made by President Jonathan.
They said the appointments were in bad faith to create landmines for President- elect Muhammadu Buhari.
The CNPP, which spoke through its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Osita Okechukwu, said it was unethical for the President to make such appointments when he has technically become a lame-duck leader.
Okechukwu said: “It is unethical to make such appointments. Although the President may be hiding under the law, the ethics of the presidential system does not allow it.
“In America, from where we copied the presidential system, once it is one year or six months to the presidential election, you become a lame-duck president. You cannot order or initiate a drastic policy. You are now restricted.
“Jonathan’s actions are unethical and suspicious of laying landmines for the incoming administration. Decency portends that whatever you did not do in office for five years, you cannot do it overnight.
“As a loser of an election, the best Jonathan can do is to tidy up his files for the incoming administration instead of embarking on reckless appointments a month or two weeks to his exit. All he is doing is in bad faith.
“Jonathan seems to be confirming the narratives that some forces attempted to stop the announcement of the results of the March 28 presidential election.”
Rights activist Sani said Jonathan was using the belated appointments to vent his anger against those he felt betrayed him.
He also said Jonathan was manifesting a sign of frustration after political undertakers had failed him.
Sani said: “President Goodluck Jonathan’s last-minute hiring and firing policy is aimed at venting his anger against those whom he felt betrayed him and at the same time planting new lackeys who will act as fifth columnist and internal saboteurs for the incoming administration.
“Behind the facade of a ‘heroic leader who accepted defeat and congratulated President-elect Buhari’ GEJ is a disappointed and frustrated man who felt betrayed after torrents of assurances by his friends, hangers on and political undertakers who led him to the grave of his political career.
“GEJ built his tower of dream for second term from a foundation of political deceit and perfidy.
“GEJ’s exit plan is to create and leave behind stooges whose activities in the next government will make Nigerians turn back to appreciate GEJ
“President GEJ is a wounded lion who is in a traumatic state of confusing smile for a jest and even a handshake as a mockery.”
