Yoruba Elders Accuse Goodluck Of Marginalisation

 The people of the South-West under the aegis of Yoruba Unity Forum, YUF, yesterday lambasted the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan for the lopsidedness in appointments at the federal level.

At a press conference addressed by former Secretary to the Federal Government, SFG, Chief Olu Falae, the forum said Jonathan had been unfair to the region in the sharing of federal offices.

The conference was attended by prominent Yoruba leaders such as the YUF Chairman, Bishop Bolanle Gbonigi; Mrs. Kofo Bucknor- Akerele; Senator Bode Olajumoke; Chief Abiola Ogundokun; Senator Mojisoluwa Akinfenwa; Chief Dipo Jimilehin; Prof. Adenike Grange; Chief Tony Adefuye; Dr. Kunle Olajide; Mr. Tokunbo Ajasin and Chief Akin Omojola.

The forum tasked the President to consider the interest of the region in any other top federal appointments.

The group said the Yoruba people were being systemically short-changed in the distribution of entitlements under the Jonathan administration and thus being deprived of their rights to equality of treatment.

The YUF warned that the complaints about the systematic marginalisation of the Yoruba should not be equated by the President to the usual cries of marginalisation from all geopolitical zones.

The forum regretted that no Yoruba man or woman is ranked in the 12 topmost positions that constitute the apex of the political power hierarchy in the country.

“We list the 12 topmost positions that constitute the apex of the political power hierarchy in the country. No Yoruba person is included in that apex. These people constitute the source from which all other powers flow.

“Thus, the absence of any Yoruba at the top of the political hierarchy has consequential effect on the Yoruba in respect of appointments and job security throughout the Federal Service.

“For example, the committee set up by the President in October 2011 to review and work on the appointments to board memberships of federal statutory corporations and agencies included no Yoruba person, because it was composed primarily of members from the above apex.

“It should be noted that not all the 12 positions listed at the apex of the power hierarchy are elective, hence, the President could have filled at least one of the purely appointive ones with a Yoruba of his choice, to accommodate the federal character principle,” the forum said.

The group reminded Jonathan that the Yoruba votes during the 2011 presidential poll, more than any other part of the country, gave the election credibility and universal acceptability.

YUF added the region gave the President all the necessary support during his trying moments.

It said: “In the dying days of the Yar’Adua administration when he was incapacitated by illness and there was a lot of reluctance to make Jonathan acting President, it is predominantly Yoruba activists who led the march on the National Assembly to force our lawmakers to pronounce Jonathan acting President.

“When the then acting President Jonathan chose to run for President, he got the enthusiastic endorsement of many Yoruba progressives, especially the leadership of Yoruba Unity Forum; die-hard Awoists who pushed his acceptability to the Yoruba by portraying him as an Awolowo protégé, and as a fulfilment of an earlier Awolowo prophesy regarding the Ijaw and the Presidency.

“Why, in spite of all the above, would President Goodluck Jonathan choose to turn against the Yoruba now? He is the President of all Nigerians, not just of his party men, nor even of those who voted for him or his party. And in any case Yoruba voted for him overwhelmingly.

“We implore Mr. President to rise to the demands of his office and rule as the President of all Nigerians including the Yoruba people.

“We are hopeful that President Goodluck Jonathan will make amends as quickly as possible and make the Yoruba feel once again as part of the Nigerian federation.”