Apr. 19, 2013
NewsRescue- the saga between Yushau Shuaib, “former” NEMA image-maker and “her highness, Prime minister,” Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, reached a new crescendo yesterday as the Minister’s spokesperson, Mr. Paul Nwabuikwu basically told Yushau to get on his knees to beg, and the Minister would forgive him.
Nwabuikwu’s words according to DailyTrust:
“Dr Okonjo-Iweala is a humane and compassionate person and has no interest in making any one lose his job. She is very forgiving and I know whatever she can do to help even the undeserving she will do it. The many people who have hurt her know that. The ball is in his court.”
This came as the Minister’s spokesman presented her side of the story, denying the accusations of discriminatory ethnic rearrangement of office holders, including her role in “skewing” the process of appointing a new chairman for the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).
He now faces a query and potential dismissal from the civil service unless he apologises to the minister, the report said. But in a reaction yesterday, the minister’s spokesman Paul Nwabuikwu denied Mrs Okonjo-Iwela is pushing for Shuaib’s dismissal.
“I have seen several reports especially online which claim that the Finance Minister is using her power to oppress Mr Yushau Shuaib. That is false and unfair,” Nwabuikwu said in an emailed statement.
Apparently Shuaib needs to beg the Minister and plead to her “humane,’ side.
Shuaib vexed her when he published an article describing what he saw was ethnic disparity in staffing.
Part of what got him “fired:”
Recently the Yoruba Unity Forum (YUF) made some disturbing allegations of ethnic cleansing of Yoruba in federal appointments by the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan. Wife of the sage, Chief HID Awolowo and the retired Bishop of Akure, Rt. Rev. Bolanle Gbonigi in Ikenne Ogun State after the meeting of the forum accused the administration of systematically excluding the Yoruba nation from the federation in terms of appointments without justification. They called on the government to redress the “systematic discrimination” against the Yoruba nationality in federal appointive positions without delay, saying that the Yoruba have been getting “crumbs” from the administration.
No sooner than the Yoruba allegation was made that the Northern Senators Forum (NSF) also publicly lamented gaping marginalization against the North over appointments and promotions in the military. According to these distinguished Nigerians, there are lopsidedness in employment and postings in the Nigerian Army in favour of the Igbos, which is clearly in the breach of the principle of Federal Character.
She should be aware that many Nigerians are referring to a book, ‘Chinua Achebe Teacher of Light’ which she co-authored where she expressed bitterness about how her tribe was dealt with before, during and after the civil war and insinuating that now that she is in authority, she is determined to correct all that she perceived as injustice against her people. Some even insist that what she is doing now is promoting regional and ethnic agenda to the detriment of other groupings in Nigeria by manipulating appointments.
Img: CFR