Former Military Governor of Kaduna State, Col. Abubakar Dangiwa
Umar, has written a strongly-worded open letter to President
Muhammadu Buhari, alleging his skewed appointments will bring ruin
and destruction to Nigeria.
In the letter titled: ‘Mr President; Please belong to all of us’
Umar stated Nigeria has become dangerously polarised and risk
sliding into crisis on account of Buhari’s lopsided
appointments.
Below is Col Umar’s open letter
OPEN LETTER FROM COL. DANGIWA UMAR (RTD) TO PRESIDENT
MUHAMMADU BUHARI
Muhammadu Buhari, Sunday 30th May 2020
President,
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces,
Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Dear Mr. President,
PRESIDENT; PLEASE BELONG TO ALL OF US.
“One of the swiftest ways of destroying a Kingdom is to give
preference of one particular tribe over another or show favor to
one group of people rather than another. And to draw near those who
should be kept away and keep away those who should be drawn near”
Sheikh Usman Dan Fodio.
I have been prompted to write you this open letter, Mr.
President, by the loud sounds of drums, singing and dancing that
erupted within many groups in the last few days on the grounds that
you attained the 5th year in office as President of Nigeria. It
comes as no surprise that enthusiasm for the celebration is not
shared equally by segments of the public. While your admirers and
supporters believe you have performed well, many others believe the
five years you have been in office as our President has not met the
yearnings, expectations and change promised Nigerians.
Mr. President, you know me well enough and my position on issues
to realize that I can be neither a rabid supporter nor a fanatical
opponent of yours. I believe being a responsible citizen is enough
reason to wish you well and to work for your success. As we have
seen all too clearly these past few years, your success is ours as
is your failure. We swim or sink with you!
You might wish to recall that after the results of the 23rd of
February 2019 presidential elections were announced, giving you
victory, I addressed a press conference during which I urged the
runner-up, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the PDP, to concede defeat. The
reason was clear: tensions were running high and little missteps by
the leaders might ignite violence, as often happened after major
elections. Some supporters of Abubakar Atiku disagreed with me and
told me off. As it happened, Alhaji Atiku went ahead to mount a
legal challenge to the outcome of the elections up to the Supreme
Court. Mercifully, his actions did not result in an outbreak of
violence as we feared.
At the same occasion, I counselled the declared winner, your
good self, to use the opportunity of your second term to redeem
your pledge of being a leader and president of all Nigerians.
On the occasion of the first-year anniversary into your second
four-year term, I feel there is an urgent need to revisit this
subject matter.
Mr. President, you have often expressed the hope that history
will be kind to you. It is within your competence to write that
history. But you have less than three years in which to do it. You
may wish to note that any authentic history must be devoid of myth.
It will be a true, factual rendition of the record of your
performance.
And truth be told, Mr. President, there are quite a lot of
things that speak to your remarkable accomplishments, not least of
which is that for the first time in our democratic history, a
sitting President was defeated. That feat was achieved by Muhammadu
Buhari. The reason was the public belief of you as a man of
integrity.
The corollary to this is that at the expiration of your 8-year
tenure in 2023, your achievements will not be measured solely by
the physical infrastructure your administration built. An enduring
legacy would be based on those intangible things like how much you
uplifted the spirit and moral tone of the nation. How well have you
secured the nation from ourselves and from external enemies?
At this time and in the light of all that have happened since
you took office, any conversation with you Mr. President cannot
gloss over the chaos that has overtaken appointments into
government offices in your administration. All those who wish you
and the country well must mince no words in warning you that
Nigeria has become dangerously polarized and risk sliding into
crisis on account of your administration’s lopsided appointments
which continues to give undue preference to some sections of the
country over others.
Nowhere is this more glaring than in the leadership cadre of our
security services.
Mr. President, I regret that there are no kind or gentle words
to tell you that your skewed appointments into the offices of the
federal government, favoring some and frustrating others, shall
bring ruin and destruction to this nation.
I need not remind you, Mr. President, that our political history
is replete with great acts of exemplary leadership which, at
critical moments, managed to pull this nation back from the
precipice and assured its continued existence.
A few examples will demonstrate this:
In February, 1965, the NPC-led Federal Government was faced with
a decision to appoint a successor to the outgoing Nigerian Army
General Officer Commanding (GOC), General Welby Everard, a Briton.
Four most senior officers were nominated; namely, Brigadiers Aguiyi
Ironsi, Ogundipe, Ademulegun and Maimalari. The first three were
senior to Maimalari but he was deemed to be more qualified due to
his superior commission. He was the first Sandhurst Regular trained
officer in the Nigerian Army. His being a Muslim Northerner like
the Minister of Defense, Alhaji Muhammadu Ribadu and the Prime
Minister, Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa granted him added advantage
by today’s standards. But to the surprise of even the Igbos, and
opposition from some senior NPC members, Minister Ribadu
recommended Ironsi, pointing to his seniority. The Prime Minister
concurred and Aguiyi Ironsi was confirmed as the first indigenous
GOC of the Nigerian Army.
When on 13 February 1976, the Commander-in-Chief, General
Murtala Muhammed, was assassinated in a failed Coup de tat, General
Olusegun Obasanjo, his deputy and the most senior officer at the
time, was sworn in as his successor. The Chief of Army Staff,
General T.Y Danjuma, a Northern Christian, was next in line to
succeed Obasanjo as the Chief of Staff, SHQ and Deputy Commander in
Chief. General Danjuma however waived his right and recommended a
much junior officer, Lt. Col. Shehu Musa Yar’adua, for the post.
Shehu was promoted two steps up to the rank of Brigadier and
appointed Chief of Staff SHQ and Deputy Commander-in-Chief. Lt.
Col. Muhammadu Buhari was appointed Minister of Petroleum. This was
done to placate Muslim North which was deemed to have lost one of
its own, Murtala Muhammed.
Both the chief of staff, Mr. Sunday Awoniyi, and the personal
physician Dr Ishaya Audu to the Premier of Northern Nigeria, Alhaji
Sir Ahmadu Bello, a direct descendant of Sheikh Usman Dan Fodio,
were Christians.
Barely nine years after the civil war in 1979, the NPN
Presidential candidate, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, picked an Igbo, Dr
Alex Ekwueme, as his running mate. They enjoyed a truly brotherly
relationship as President and Vice President. President Shagari’s
political advisor, Dr Chuba Okadigbo and National Assembly Liaison,
assistant, Dr K.O Mbadiwe, were both Igbos. His economic advisor,
Prof. Emmanuel Edozien and his Chief of Personnel Staff Dr Michael
Prest, were of Niger Delta extraction. Remarkably, all his military
service chiefs were Christians with the exception of his last Chief
Army Staff, General Inuwa Wushishi under whose tenure he was
removed in a military coup de tat.
Mr. President, as a witness and beneficiary, it is our
expectation that you would emulate these great acts of
statesmanship. Which is why we have continued to engage with
you.
You may wish to recall that I had cause to appeal to you, to
confirm Justice Onnoghen as the substantive Chief Justice of
Nigeria a few days before the expiration of his three months tenure
of acting appointment to be replaced by a Muslim Northerner. We
were saved that embarrassment when his nomination was sent to the
senate by the then acting President, Prof. Yemi Osibanjo. When he
was finally confirmed a few days to the end of his tenure, he was
removed after a few months and replaced by Justice Muhammed, a
Muslim from the North.
May I also invite the attention of Mr. President to the pending
matter of appointment of a Chief Judge of the Nigerian Court Appeal
which appears to be generating public interest. As it is, the most
senior Judge, Justice Monica Dongban Mensem, a northern Christian,
is serving out her second three-month term as acting Chief Judge
without firm prospects that she will be confirmed substantive head.
I do not know Justice Mensem but those who do attest to her
competence, honesty and humility. She appears eminently qualified
for appointment as the substantive Chief Judge of the Court of
Appeal as she is also said to be highly recommended by the National
Judicial Council. If she is not and is bypassed in favor of the
next in line who happens to be another northern Muslim, that would
be truly odd. In which case, even the largest contingent of PR
gurus would struggle to rebut the charges that you, Mr. President,
is either unwilling or incapable of acting on your pledge to belong
to everyone — and to no one. I hope you would see your way into
pausing and reflecting on the very grave consequences of such
failure not just to your legacy but to the future of our great
country.
Thank you for your time, Mr. President.
COL. ABUBAKAR DANGIWA UMAR (RTD)
Former Military Governor of Kaduna State, Col. Abubakar Dangiwa
Umar, has written a strongly-worded open letter to President
Muhammadu Buhari, alleging his skewed appointments will bring ruin
and destruction to Nigeria.
In the letter titled: ‘Mr President; Please belong to all of us’
Umar stated Nigeria has become dangerously polarised and risk
sliding into crisis on account of Buhari’s lopsided
appointments.
Below is Col Umar’s open letter
OPEN LETTER FROM COL. DANGIWA UMAR (RTD) TO PRESIDENT
MUHAMMADU BUHARI
Muhammadu Buhari, Sunday 30th May 2020
President,
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces,
Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Dear Mr. President,
PRESIDENT; PLEASE BELONG TO ALL OF US.
“One of the swiftest ways of destroying a Kingdom is to give
preference of one particular tribe over another or show favor to
one group of people rather than another. And to draw near those who
should be kept away and keep away those who should be drawn near”
Sheikh Usman Dan Fodio.
I have been prompted to write you this open letter, Mr.
President, by the loud sounds of drums, singing and dancing that
erupted within many groups in the last few days on the grounds that
you attained the 5th year in office as President of Nigeria. It
comes as no surprise that enthusiasm for the celebration is not
shared equally by segments of the public. While your admirers and
supporters believe you have performed well, many others believe the
five years you have been in office as our President has not met the
yearnings, expectations and change promised Nigerians.
Mr. President, you know me well enough and my position on issues
to realize that I can be neither a rabid supporter nor a fanatical
opponent of yours. I believe being a responsible citizen is enough
reason to wish you well and to work for your success. As we have
seen all too clearly these past few years, your success is ours as
is your failure. We swim or sink with you!
You might wish to recall that after the results of the 23rd of
February 2019 presidential elections were announced, giving you
victory, I addressed a press conference during which I urged the
runner-up, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the PDP, to concede defeat. The
reason was clear: tensions were running high and little missteps by
the leaders might ignite violence, as often happened after major
elections. Some supporters of Abubakar Atiku disagreed with me and
told me off. As it happened, Alhaji Atiku went ahead to mount a
legal challenge to the outcome of the elections up to the Supreme
Court. Mercifully, his actions did not result in an outbreak of
violence as we feared.
At the same occasion, I counselled the declared winner, your
good self, to use the opportunity of your second term to redeem
your pledge of being a leader and president of all Nigerians.
On the occasion of the first-year anniversary into your second
four-year term, I feel there is an urgent need to revisit this
subject matter.
Mr. President, you have often expressed the hope that history
will be kind to you. It is within your competence to write that
history. But you have less than three years in which to do it. You
may wish to note that any authentic history must be devoid of myth.
It will be a true, factual rendition of the record of your
performance.
And truth be told, Mr. President, there are quite a lot of
things that speak to your remarkable accomplishments, not least of
which is that for the first time in our democratic history, a
sitting President was defeated. That feat was achieved by Muhammadu
Buhari. The reason was the public belief of you as a man of
integrity.
The corollary to this is that at the expiration of your 8-year
tenure in 2023, your achievements will not be measured solely by
the physical infrastructure your administration built. An enduring
legacy would be based on those intangible things like how much you
uplifted the spirit and moral tone of the nation. How well have you
secured the nation from ourselves and from external enemies?
At this time and in the light of all that have happened since
you took office, any conversation with you Mr. President cannot
gloss over the chaos that has overtaken appointments into
government offices in your administration. All those who wish you
and the country well must mince no words in warning you that
Nigeria has become dangerously polarized and risk sliding into
crisis on account of your administration’s lopsided appointments
which continues to give undue preference to some sections of the
country over others.
Nowhere is this more glaring than in the leadership cadre of our
security services.
Mr. President, I regret that there are no kind or gentle words
to tell you that your skewed appointments into the offices of the
federal government, favoring some and frustrating others, shall
bring ruin and destruction to this nation.
I need not remind you, Mr. President, that our political history
is replete with great acts of exemplary leadership which, at
critical moments, managed to pull this nation back from the
precipice and assured its continued existence.
A few examples will demonstrate this:
In February, 1965, the NPC-led Federal Government was faced with
a decision to appoint a successor to the outgoing Nigerian Army
General Officer Commanding (GOC), General Welby Everard, a Briton.
Four most senior officers were nominated; namely, Brigadiers Aguiyi
Ironsi, Ogundipe, Ademulegun and Maimalari. The first three were
senior to Maimalari but he was deemed to be more qualified due to
his superior commission. He was the first Sandhurst Regular trained
officer in the Nigerian Army. His being a Muslim Northerner like
the Minister of Defense, Alhaji Muhammadu Ribadu and the Prime
Minister, Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa granted him added advantage
by today’s standards. But to the surprise of even the Igbos, and
opposition from some senior NPC members, Minister Ribadu
recommended Ironsi, pointing to his seniority. The Prime Minister
concurred and Aguiyi Ironsi was confirmed as the first indigenous
GOC of the Nigerian Army.
When on 13 February 1976, the Commander-in-Chief, General
Murtala Muhammed, was assassinated in a failed Coup de tat, General
Olusegun Obasanjo, his deputy and the most senior officer at the
time, was sworn in as his successor. The Chief of Army Staff,
General T.Y Danjuma, a Northern Christian, was next in line to
succeed Obasanjo as the Chief of Staff, SHQ and Deputy Commander in
Chief. General Danjuma however waived his right and recommended a
much junior officer, Lt. Col. Shehu Musa Yar’adua, for the post.
Shehu was promoted two steps up to the rank of Brigadier and
appointed Chief of Staff SHQ and Deputy Commander-in-Chief. Lt.
Col. Muhammadu Buhari was appointed Minister of Petroleum. This was
done to placate Muslim North which was deemed to have lost one of
its own, Murtala Muhammed.
Both the chief of staff, Mr. Sunday Awoniyi, and the personal
physician Dr Ishaya Audu to the Premier of Northern Nigeria, Alhaji
Sir Ahmadu Bello, a direct descendant of Sheikh Usman Dan Fodio,
were Christians.
Barely nine years after the civil war in 1979, the NPN
Presidential candidate, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, picked an Igbo, Dr
Alex Ekwueme, as his running mate. They enjoyed a truly brotherly
relationship as President and Vice President. President Shagari’s
political advisor, Dr Chuba Okadigbo and National Assembly Liaison,
assistant, Dr K.O Mbadiwe, were both Igbos. His economic advisor,
Prof. Emmanuel Edozien and his Chief of Personnel Staff Dr Michael
Prest, were of Niger Delta extraction. Remarkably, all his military
service chiefs were Christians with the exception of his last Chief
Army Staff, General Inuwa Wushishi under whose tenure he was
removed in a military coup de tat.
Mr. President, as a witness and beneficiary, it is our
expectation that you would emulate these great acts of
statesmanship. Which is why we have continued to engage with
you.
You may wish to recall that I had cause to appeal to you, to
confirm Justice Onnoghen as the substantive Chief Justice of
Nigeria a few days before the expiration of his three months tenure
of acting appointment to be replaced by a Muslim Northerner. We
were saved that embarrassment when his nomination was sent to the
senate by the then acting President, Prof. Yemi Osibanjo. When he
was finally confirmed a few days to the end of his tenure, he was
removed after a few months and replaced by Justice Muhammed, a
Muslim from the North.
May I also invite the attention of Mr. President to the pending
matter of appointment of a Chief Judge of the Nigerian Court Appeal
which appears to be generating public interest. As it is, the most
senior Judge, Justice Monica Dongban Mensem, a northern Christian,
is serving out her second three-month term as acting Chief Judge
without firm prospects that she will be confirmed substantive head.
I do not know Justice Mensem but those who do attest to her
competence, honesty and humility. She appears eminently qualified
for appointment as the substantive Chief Judge of the Court of
Appeal as she is also said to be highly recommended by the National
Judicial Council. If she is not and is bypassed in favor of the
next in line who happens to be another northern Muslim, that would
be truly odd. In which case, even the largest contingent of PR
gurus would struggle to rebut the charges that you, Mr. President,
is either unwilling or incapable of acting on your pledge to belong
to everyone — and to no one. I hope you would see your way into
pausing and reflecting on the very grave consequences of such
failure not just to your legacy but to the future of our great
country.
Thank you for your time, Mr. President.
COL. ABUBAKAR DANGIWA UMAR (RTD)