Don’t nominate Dambazzau minister, north & central Nigeria tells Buhari

Open Letter To Muhammadu Buhari (Gcfr), President And Commander-In-Chief Of The Nigerian

Armed Forces – Concerned Citizens Of North And Central Nigeria

17the September, 2015 

Your Excellency, 

Nomination Of Lt. Gen. Danbazzau (Rtd) As A Minister 

Sir, we are aware that the persons that you decide to choose to be members of your cabinet are your sole constitutional prerogative, subject to the approval of the Senate. However, we are constrained to let you know some of our feelings in the hope that they might assist you in providing good governance to the teeming millions of Nigerians.

It was widely speculated that Lt. General Danbazzau (rtd) might be appointed as your government’s National Security Adviser but you had other plans. The Nigerian press has reported that you have nominated him among your would-be Ministers. It is also believed that he has passed the usual security screening which ministerial nominees are subjected to and that you will forward the names of such cleared nominees to the Nigerian Senate this month, September 2015, as you promised Nigerians sometime ago.

The North and Central regions of Nigeria have been taking most of the brunt of the crisis/insurgency and the Fulani herdsmen/farmer clashes in the country for decades. The hostilities are still very much ongoing. Our people are daily losing their lives and property and are being internally displaced even as we write. 

Lt. Gen. Danbazzau (rtd), who is a former Chief of Army Staff (COAS), commanded the Nigerian Army as it battled the crisis mentioned above. We doubt if he put in Nigeria’s best effort into arresting the situation, hence the escalation of the crisis. Also, the Fulani herdsmen/farmer clashes, which are mainly in southern Kaduna, Plateau, Benue, Nassarawa and Taraba States, were not dealt with decisively. The Nigerian Army, which has performed gallantly in various international peace-keeping operations, failed in dealing with an internal crisis under his watch. 

Your Excellency sir, our fear is that you might be planning to rely on Lt. Gen. Danbazzau (rtd) to serve as one of your Ministers. Remembering your promise of change and the great expectations of Nigerians from your government, we wonder what contribution this gentleman might bring.

The prerogative of allocating portfolios to the men and women you choose is entirely yours, but we plead with you to remember the dying, the displaced, the burnt houses, the widows, the orphans, the uncultivated farms, the looming famine and your oath of office to protect life and property and to provide good governance to all Nigerians. 

Thank you for your time.

Yours faithfully,

James G. Pam (Plateau State) ________________________________

Rev. Ephraim B. Yayock (Kaduna State)______________________________

Comrade Pius Attah (Benue State) _________________________________

Bala S. Oma (Kogi State) _________________________________

Dantala Anzaku (Nassarawa State) ________________________________

Abubakar Faruk (Niger State) ________________________________

For Diaspora Digital Media Updates click on Whatsapp, or Telegram. For eyewitness accounts/ reports/ articles, write to: citizenreports@diasporadigitalmedia.com. Follow us on X (Fomerly Twitter) or Facebook