Says His Appointing of Son in Law As FHA Head Violates Presidents Constitutional Oath
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has accused President Bola Tinubu of nepotism and violating his constitutional oath of office by appointing his son-in-law as head of the Federal Housing Authority.
The right group in a statement by its national coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, condemned what it described as nepotism adding that the nepotism displayed in the appointment and criticized President Tinubu for persistently breaching section 14(3) of the Federal Constitution, which prohibits nepotism and promotes meritocracy.
HURIWA called on President Tinubu to spread appointments across all ethnic and religious groups instead of concentrating them among his Yoruba kinsmen and Hausa/Fulani northerners.
‘’The Rights group also condemned the persistent breaches of section 14(3) of the Federal Constitution on the federal character principle by President Tinubu in his penchant to give all the most strategic appointments in the defence, finance and crude oil sectors to his kinsmen instead of spreading those appointments that touches on the National economy and in direct breach of the principles of merits and competencies. “We call on President Tinubu to be a statesman that he claims to be by giving appointments to Nigerians from every facets of the ethno-religious dimensions instead of concentrating appointments to his Yoruba kinsmen and to Hausa/Fulani northerners.”
Besides, HURIWA Condemns the president for continuing the dangerous practice which was done by immediate past President Muhammadu Buhari who all through his 8 years of miserable presidency, appointed his cousins, nephews into some positions in the Federal government considered to be juicy just as the Rights group stated that the Federal Housing Authority is a position considered to be very juicy due to the massive housing assets and funds available in the coffers of the Federal Housing Authority(FHA). “The argument that the son-in-law of the president is also a citizen who should get appointment, doesn’t follow because his father-in-law is the appointing authority which makes his appointment nepotistic and dishonourable.”
HURIWA stated that under the infamous administration of Buhari, his biological relations held some of the most powerful positions inside the presidential villa, a practice that violated the Federal character principles under Section 14(3) of the Constitution forbidding nepotism which is a similar practice that President Tinubu has continued from where his predecessor stopped. HURIWA blamed Buhari’s nepotistic appointments for the massive scale of corruption and economic crimes committed under the very nose of the immediate past President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Rights group said it traditionally believed in political circles that the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) is as juicy as the crude oil sector of the economy because that agency of the Federal ministry of Housing, is the custodian of all the landed assets owned by the Federal Government of Nigeria and these assets are indeed very massive and expensive.’’
According to HURIWA, the position at the Federal Housing Authority is considered very lucrative due to its control over massive housing assets owned by the federal government.
They argued that Mr. Oyetunde Oladimeji Ojo’s appointment violated President Tinubu’s constitutional oath, which requires him to always act in accordance with national interest rather than personal gain.
HURIWA further stated that it was inconceivable how a subordinate appointed by a minister could be held accountable if they were found wanting under such circumstances.
