99% Christian: Fayose’s Appointments: Lopsided, Parochial – MURIC

The Ekiti State chapter of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) recently issued a damning statement on the appointments made so far by the state governor, Ayodele Fayose. The document revealed unprecedented monopoly of political appointments by Christians in the state to the disadvantage of their Muslim counterparts.

We are nonplussed by Fayose’s open bigotry and untethered hatred for Muslims. It is the convention in most states of Nigeria, particularly where no religion is heavily predominant, that the deputy governor is always picked from a religion different from that of the governor. Ekiti State from time immemorial has always had Muslims as deputy governors. What explanation does Fayose have for abandoning this path of tolerance and integration?    How can Fayose form an all-Christian cabinet and still criticize Buhari whose appointments are a mixed grill?

Yet that is not all. This man who has the temerity to cast aspersion on the globally revered person of President Buhari appointed Christians only into the 13-member body of executive secretaries in his own state. His state’s 5-member boards are all Christians including Ekiti State University (EKSU) except one which has a Muslim member. The 7-member boards of colleges of education and that of health technology are all Christians. All the sixteen (16) education secretaries are Christians while all the sixteen (16) local government caretaker chairmen except one are Christians.

No wonder Nigerians are asking why Fayose always manifests the Orubebe virus when commenting on national issues. A man who cannot maintain justice and equity in his small domain cranes his neck from his infinitesimally small microcosm to spite another man whose integrity is universally acknowledged. Nigerians should not make the mistake of giving people like Fayose the chance to rule this country. He cannot forge unity. Neither can he inspire patriotism. What else can we expect from a self-confessed danfo driver whose nuisance value lies only in his ‘bolekaja’ mentality?

MURIC advises Fayose to concentrate on governance in his own state. His undue interference in the affairs of others has made him to derail. One major proof that he has lost focus is his recent appointment of an illiterate 72 year old carpenter as chairman of a local government caretaker committee. That particular appointment is targeted at exploiting that local government and sentencing the inhabitants to abject penury. Fayose is a mediocre in the art of governance.

Finally, we challenge Fayose to answer the questions posed by Jesus (peace and blessings be upon him) when he asked in Mathew 7:3 – 5, “Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye’, when t        here is a log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye”

Professor Ishaq Akintola,

Director,

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)