13-4-2025.

Today is going to be a fighting day, because the Southerners have turned the Northerners into the proverbial whipping boy, in whom to vent their frustration and anger, needlessly. Or even for the sake of proving that they can do it with no consequences from the government or the victim’s ‘important’ people.

Someone from the Southern part of the country wanted to be truthful by half when he claimed that the immediate past administration of Muhammadu Buhari started the lopsided appointments of his region’s people before the present regime of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu followed suit.

He bandied a purported list that stood the truth on its head. The false list bandied by the tribalist gives the erroneous impression that Muhammadu Buhari did the same thing too. It was a very big lie. Apart from the fact that the list was deliberately made up, it has never been in the habit of presidents from the Northern part of the country to be so brazenly unjust and unfair to another section of the nation. It is simply not in their DNA.

Moreover, Buhari’s time as president of the country was not characterised by the overwhelming poverty, hunger and anger that is very pervasive these days, which informed his decision recently to tell the governors on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), to tamper with their harsh policies and make life easier for their poor citizens in their states.

The former president also called on Nigerians to give more support to his successor, Tinubu, for him to succeed in turning the economy of the nation around. Buhari would not have made the call if he believed that the present number one citizen in the country was really responsible for the current hard times in the country. A cabal appears to be behind it, for sure.

The false list shared on the social media showed that Muhammadu Buhari as being ahead of President Tinubu in making lopsided appointments in Nigeria. Muhammadu Buhari supposedly appointed his Hausa/Fulani people to more prestigious and important positions than President Tinubu.

But the Special Adviser on Media to President Tinubu, Mr. Sunday Dare, gave the “amended version” of the TRUE appointments made by his boss on coming to power less than two years ago. According to him, the president has affected the following appointments since assuming office on 29th May, 2023, “1. Chief of Staff – Femi Gbajabiamila 2. Minister of Petroleum Resources - Bola Ahmed Tinubu 3. Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy - Wale Edun 4. Minister of Interior - Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo 5. Minister of Power - Adebayo Adelabu 6. Minister of Solid Minerals - Dele Alake 7. Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy - Bosun Tijani 8. Minister of Marine and Blue Economy - Adegboyega Oyetola 9. Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment - Jumoke  and 10. Minister of State, Environment - Moruf Olalekan Adebayo.

“11. Minister for Youth Development - Ayodele Olawande 12. Minister of State, Health - Salako Isiaq Adekunle Adeboye 13. Chief Justice of Nigeria - Kudirat Motonmori Olatokunbo Kekere-Ekun 14. Chief of Army Staff - Olufemi Olalotunbosun Oluyede 15. Inspector General of Police - Kayode Egbetokun 16. DG, Department of State Services - Adeleai Oluwatosin Ajayi 17. Commander, Brigade of Guards - Adebis Oluasola Olasanya 18. Chief of Defence Space Administration - Larre Ibrahim Oluwatoyin 19. Commandant, National Defence College - Olumuyiwa Morakinyo Olotu and 20. CG, Nigeria Customs Service - Bashir Adewale Adeniyi.

“21. CG, Federal Fire Service - Abdulganiyu Olayi Jaji 22. Accountant-General of the Federation - Shamsudeen Babatunde 23. Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria - Olayemi Michael Cardoso 24. Chairman, Economic & Financial Crimes Commission - Ola Olukoyede 25. Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service - Zaccheaus Adedeji Adedeji 26. CCE, Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission - Gbenga Komolafe 27. DG/CEO, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency - Dayo Mobereola 28. MD/CEO, Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria - Gbenga Alade 29. DG, National Pension Commission - Mojisola Yahaya and 30. DG, Bureau of Public Procurement - Adebayo Adewusi.

“31. MD/CEO, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria - Olubunmi Oluwaseun Kuku 32. DG, Bureau of Public Enterprises - Ayodeji Ariyo Gbeleyi 33. MD/CEO, Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority - Olufemi Ogunyemi 34. Commissioner/CEO, National Insurance Commission - Olusegun Aya Omosehin 35. DG/CEO, National Identity Management Commission - Abisoye Coker-Odusote 36. DG/CEO, National Space Research and Development Agency - Matthew Adepoju 37. DG/CEO, National Centre for Technology Management - Olushola Odusanya 38. DG/CEO, National Automotive Design and Development Council - Oluseunmi Joseph Osanipin 39. Chairman, Nigerian Ports Authority Board - Adedayo Clement Adeyeye and 40. MD, Federal Housing Authority - Oladimeji Oyetunde Ojo.

“41. ES, National Lottery Trust Fund - Tosin Adeyanju 42. DG/CEO, National Lottery Regulatory Commission - Lanre Gbajabiamila 43. CEO, Nigerian Postal Service - Omotola Odeyemi 44. CEO, Nigeria Data Protection Commission - Vincent Olatunji 45. MD/CEO, Galaxy Backbone Limited - Ibrahim Adejuyi Adeyanju 46. DG/CEO, National Biosafety Management Agency - Agnes Yemisi Asagbra 47. DG, National Agency for the Control of AIDS - Temipole Ilori 48. DG, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control - Mojirola Christianah Adeyeye 49. CEO, National Primary Health Care Development Agency - Muji Aina and 50. DG, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control - Jide Idris.

“51. Statistician-General, National Bureau of Statistics - Adeyemi Adeniran 52. DG, National Sugar Development Council - Aliyu Yakubu 53. DG/CEO, Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria - Lekam Badadjo 54. VC/CEO, Federal Competition & Consumer Protection Commission - Adetokunbo Aloba 55. National Coordinator, National Social Safety-Net Coordinating Office - Funmi Olotu 56. DG, National Sports Commission - Bukola Olawale Olopade 57. DG, Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation - Folorunsho Coker 58. DG/CEO, National Orientation Agency - Lanre Issa-Onilu 59. and Registrar Surveyors Council of Nigeria - Olakunle Olugbemiro 60. 

“President/CEO Digital Bridge Institute - Opeyemi Dele-Ajayi 61. DG/CEO Industrial Training Fund - Oluwatoyin Afiz Ogun 62. DG/CEO Nigerian Institute of Medical Research - John Oladapo Obafunwa 63. DG/CEO National Institute for Hospitality Tourism - Abisoye Fagade 64. National Power Training Institute of Nigeria - Ahmed Bolaji Nagode 65. DG National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies - Ayo Omotayo 66. Administrator/CEO Public Service Institute of Nigeria - Abdul-Ganiyu Obatoyinbo 67. Registrar Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board - Is-haq Olanrewaju Oloyede 68. Registrar/CEO Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria - Josiah Ajiboye 69. and MD/CEO Nigerian Education Loan Fund - Akintunde Sawyer 70. 

“DG/CEO Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria - Patrick Olusami Adebola 71. MD/CEO Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation - Folashade Joseph 72. Mr. Ayo Sotinrin – MD, Bank of Agriculture 73. Sowade Oluwakayode – Executive Director, Ogun-Osun River Basin 74. Engr. Michael Oluwagbemi – Programme Director, Presidential CNG Initiative 75. Brigadier General Olakunle Oluseye – DG, NYSC 76. Dr. Adesegun Akin-Olugbade – Chairman, Nigeria Independent System Operator (NISO) 77. Mr. Idris Olurinnimbe – Chairman, UBEC 78. Prof. Balaji Akinyemi – Chairman, Nigerian Institute for International Affairs 79. and Olusegun Omosehin & Engr. Wole Ogunsanya – Board Members, NCDMB 80. Senator Surajdeen Bashorun Ajibola – Chairman, National Sugar Development Council. 

The rest are “81. Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi – Chairman, NOTAP 82. Aide-de-Camp (ADC) – Colonel Nurudeen Alowonle Yusuf 83. Special Adviser on Information and Strategy – Bayo Onanuga 84. Special Adviser on Media – Sunday Dare 85. Senior Special Assistant (Media) – Tunde Rahman 86. Senior Special Assistant on Digital and New Media – O'Tega Ogra 87. Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (House of Representatives) – Olarewaju Kunle Ibrahim 88. Senior Special Assistant to the President on Linguistics and Foreign Matters – Jami'u Abiola”.

As we severally pointed out in a previous articles, Northerners, regardless of their religion and tribe, were considered as second class citizens in another part of the country. There, they are often killed with the impunity that apparently enjoys the support of most members of their Establishment.

Blood, for them, will always be thicker than water, which is why they always support their own people whatever or how gruesome their crimes on their turf may be. Most of their religious, traditional, academic, business and other professional leaders stick with, and support their own, regardless of the crimes they committed against others or the federal government. By the way, the information came from their own people who were tried to be discouraged from coming to the North, even for a national assignment.

In the North however, people from the other region enjoy the support and protection of the Establishment, to such a degree that they live within and with the people, and practice their own religion freely, without let or hinderance.

To take the insult upon the Northerners further, some of the people from the other side of the divide are not free of the prejudice and dislike for people of the North. They run a monopoly in some businesses in the North. Again, although they live within, and interact with, the Northern people FREELY, they however patronise only their people’s business. They only go to a Northerner’s shop where their people are not selling such stuff. Now, their people are into the business hitherto the preserve of the hosts. They are ‘competing’ with the hosts, so that in future they do not have to patronise anyone’s business but their people’s.

But the situation where Northerners are considered second class citizens in THEIR own country, should henceforth be a thing of the past, because the unfortunate, unhappy, and unhealthy development, which of recent culminated in the callous murder of 16 Northerners in Uromi, Edo state, is one murder too many. It was about time Northerners start taking matters in their own hands, if the BARBARIC treatment mated out to them in the Southern part of the country is not permanently STOPPED.

From what has been the unfortunate fate of the North, it is unlikely that something positive will come from the cabal calling the shots at the Presidential Villa on a platter of gold. Given the deliberate denial of some important amenities to the region by the Tinubu regime, such as electricity, security, good roads etc, the giant region would have to fight for the right to exist. At the moment, the situation appears to be progressing from bad to worse.

The North would not mind every section of the country going its own way, since it is the desire and design of some people who consider the region as a PARASITE. The truth is that the Northern Region is NEITHER a PARASITE nor is it AFRAID of a BREAKUP. Breakup would then provide the world the opportunity to see who is pulling who back in Nigeria, regarding progress to the proverbial ‘next level’.

May God save the Nigerian nation from getting caught in the grip of a conflagration caused by the DELIBERATE and abominable action of some STUPID people in the country. May He also continue to support the existence of Nigeria as one entity, or make the parting of ways as amicable as possible.

Malumfashi wrote from Katsina.