The Senior
Special Assistant to the Vice President on Legal Matters, Dr Bilkisu Saidu has
dismissed recent comments credited to a faceless Social Media contributor using
thr name Ismaila Farouk from Zamfara State about appointments made by Acting
President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, into some Federal agencies and the ones done in
the office of the Vice President.
Dr Saidu,
regarded as one of the foremost aides to the Acting President, spoke on
``Shirin Safe’’, an interview programme on BBC Hausa Radio on Sunday. She was a
law teacher from the Usmanu Dan Fodiyo University Sokoto before she was named
an SSA in the Office of the Vice President last year.
She described
the nepotism charges as simply laughable, untrue, unfair and should not be
taken seriously.
According to her
contrary to Mr Farouk’s conclusions, most senior positions on the Vice President’s
office are held by Muslims including by individuals who are from the north.
Said she,
``If you are talking about religion, the most senior official or position
in the Office of the Vice President apart from the Vice President himself, is
the office of the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President and the name of the
person occupying that office is Abdulrahman Ipaye and he is a Muslim.’’
``The positions
following the Chief of Staff’s in the order of hierarchy are the Special
Advisers in the office of the Vice President. Here there are three Special
Advisers and two out of the three Special Advisers are Muslims, Senator
Babafemi Ojudu and Barrister Mariam Uwais from Kano State,’’ she added.
Dr Saidu said
that a cursory look at the other senior positions in the Vice President’s
office indicate that religious consideration was never a factor in the
appointment of the officers, noting that ``If you look at the remaining senior
positions in that office, most of them are in the hands of Muslims from the
north.’’
She said: ``For
instance the person in charge of Protocol (i.e. the Director of Protocol) is
Ambassador Abdullahi Gwary from Yobe State; those in charge of welfare and
health in the office of the Vice President are mostly Muslims and from the
north.
``Worthy of note
are the stewards, those who serve the Vice President’s meals, they are mostly
Muslims, so what do the critics mean when they talk about religion.’’
Dr Saidu
concluded that when non-progressive minded people fail to win public support on
their personal agenda they often resort to the use of religion given its
sensitivity among Nigerians.
According to
her, ``when people lack what to use or have exhausted all avenues to
speak evil against perceived opponents or ridicule the good works that they are
doing, they resort to use of religion or other means possible to damage the
image and reputation of that opponent.’’
The faceless
Ismaila Farouk from Zamfara State recently criticized Acting President
Yemi Osinbajo’s recent outings and appointments made in his office describing
them as sectional and not in the interest of the north.
Tags
Politics