Civil rights advocacy group, known as Human Rights Writers of Nigeria (HURIWA), has admonished President Mohammadu Buhari, for not considering a Southeasterner, to be the Chief of Army Staff, (COAS).

This was conveyed by the National Cordinator of HURIWA, Emmanuel Onwubiko, in a statement; adding that the president (appointing another Northerner) showed no support for one Nigeria.

On Thursday, the President appointed General Farouk Yahaya, as the new Chief of Army Staff, due to the tragic death of the former COAS, Lt Gen Ibrahim Attahiru in a plane crash last week Friday.

Apparently , Both Attahiru and his successor, are from Northern Nigeria.

The apex Igbo Socio Cultural Organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, had criticized the president for appointing four service chiefs, and an acting Inspector-general of police earlier this year, as one of the five appointees was not of Igbo extraction.

HURIWA, in a statement titled, ‘New Army Chief,’ said: We are no longer shocked by Buhari’s primitive Nepotism, knocked the president for not distributing his appointments across all the Socio ethnic interests in the country.

The statement reads: “The shameless, nepotic decision of president Buhari to continue on the illegal and unconstitutional abuses of appointing only Hausa/ Fulani citizens, into policy internal security positions in breach of Nigerian constitutional provision of federal character is despicable, reprehensible and totally toxic”.

The group accused Buhari of violating his constitutional oat of office by his aversion to respect federal character principles.

“Buhari’s refusal to appoint an office from the South East as the Army Chief of Staff even when he is the most senior of the Major General further solidify his notoriety as someone who does not believe in one Nigeria,” HURIWA stated

Ijeoma Njoku reporting, Obinwannem News | May 28, 2021