Presidency Denounces Junaid Mohammed As ''Sour Grape And Bad Belle''

The Presidency has lashed out at Dr Junaid Mohammed, a member of the Defence Committee in the Second Republic for accusing President Muhammadu Buhari of nepotism.

The Presidency lashed out at Dr Junaid via a rejoinder signed by Chief Okoi Obono-obla, Special Assistant to the President on Prosecution.

Read rejoinder below:

I have read the wild allegation of nepotism levelled against President Muhammadu Buhari by Dr Jinadu Mohammed in an interview he granted Punch Newspaper edition of Saturday the 23 July 2016 , and I truly think that the allegation is indeed baseless and hogwash.

It is unfortunate and a huge disappointment that such frivolous histrionics and diatribe could come from the mouth of a supposedly elder learned person and Statesman like Dr Jinuadu Mohammed. For the purpose of this write-up, I will not delved into other acerbic allegations levelled by Dr Mohammed against President Buhari but try to restrict myself to that bothering on nepotism.

It is illogical for Jinadu Mohammed to suggest that Amina Zakaria , the INEC National Commissioner was appointed by Buhari . She was appointed by. Former President Goodluck Jonathan. I did not believe that it was Buhari who gave her name to former President Jonathan because at the time she was appointed President Buhari was a leading Opposition in the country. Mamman Daura is not holding any government position. Therefore making a heavy weather of the appointment of certain people who Jinadu Mohammed perceived to be related to Mamman Daura is unfortunate and unfair! I do not honestly anything morally or constitutionally wrong or improper for President Buhari appointing relations of Mamman Daura! Are they not Nigerians?

Is Jinadu Mohammed suggesting that President Buhari should cut off from his relatives such as Mamman Daura because he is President! The Minister of Water Resources, Adamu Suleiman, I know very well and has been close to President Buhari since 2003 when he entered politics. Suleiman Adamu has always work assiduously to promote the candidacy of President Buhari in all the elections he had contested . He was the Vice Chairman of the defunct CPC for North West. He is a competent, experienced and well educated engineer who deserve to be appointed Minister in his own Right .

He was never appointed Minister because of the reasons suggested by Jinadu Mohammed. Conversely, is there anything wrong with the appointment of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mohammed Bello? Is Jinadu Mohammed, suggesting that the father of the Minister is purportedly of President Buhari’s friend he should be appointed ; even though he is eminently Qualified for such an appointment! This is strange and illogical! In the United States of America, President John Kennedy appointed his immediate brother, Robert Kennedy and heavens did not fall.

There is nothing constitutionally, administratively, morally restraining a President from appointing a person related with him by blood in so far as that person is eligible!

The positions mentioned by Jinadu Mohammed such as Director of Protocol (SCOOP) ; ADC (Colonel Abubakar) and Personal Assistant (Sabiu Yusuf) , he alleged are occupied by Buhari’s relations are not political appointments but inconsequential administrative and personal positions that Buhari reserves the prerogative to appoint people of his choice .

Jinadu Mohammed has also not told us how the Minister from Kaduna’s relationship with Governor Nasir El Rufai dis entitles her from being appointed as Minister. In any case, Governor El Rufai is not President Buhari ‘s relation; so how does the charge of nepotism come in!

The outbursts of Jinadu Mohammed is therefore in the realm of an emotional outburst, sour grapes and bad belle. When will Dr Mohammed see anything good in another person! The other day, he thoroughly ridiculed and abused Abubakar Malami, SAN, the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister and wrongly and inappropriately dismissed him as a ” charge and bail” lawyer ! Can you imagine! In most African cultures, it is wrong and inappropriate for an elderly person like Dr Mohammed to abuse a younger such as Abubakar Malami,SAN in such a vitriolic manner in the guise of being a public critic!