From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja
Senator Sunday Karimi, Chairman of the Senate Services Committee, has reacted to allegations made by his counterpart from Borno South, Senator Ali Ndume, who accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of making lopsided political appointments favoring his Yoruba ethnic group.
Karimi, who responded to Ndume’s allegations in a statement on Tuesday, expressed surprise at Ndume’s claims, advising him to focus on more pressing issues like the nation’s insecurity.
Sen. Karimi expressed surprise that Ndume, a former Chief Whip of the 10th Senate, often chose to “play to the gallery” by leaving “real development challenges like the insecurity confronting Nigeria, to promote sentiments.”
The Kogi-West Senator cited the devastation caused to Nigeria’s existence by Boko Haram insurgency, saying that it cost the nation “over 50 per cent of its earnings” in recent years in counter-terrorism spending.
Karimi urged Ndume to redirect his energy towards finding local solutions to the insurgency, rather than criticizing the government and “constantly projecting” himself as a critic of Tinubu’s Administration.
“Over 50 per cent of Nigeria’s earnings in the last few years is being spent on fighting insurgency.
“Rather than playing to the gallery and criticising the government, Senator Ndume as a leader of his people should go back home, liaise with his people on solving Boko Haram problems.
“Insecurity has a local solution”, he stated.
Senator Karimi highlighted his efforts to combat banditry, kidnapping, and violent crimes in Kogi-West by citing a notable example, when he facilitated the construction of a Military Base in Egbe Town, Yagba West Local Government Area, and provided additional logistics to support security initiatives.
Karimi stressed that this proactive approach demonstrates his commitment to addressing the region’s security challenges.
“The country has lost a lot of his soldiers and trillions of Naira fighting insurgents in Senator Ndume’s Senatorial district in the last decades.
“In fact, I lost one of the young officers, a captain in the Nigerian Army from my Senatorial District serving in his community three weeks ago.
“Lots of young Nigerians had lost their lives fighting to defend the territorial integrity of our country. Those are more serious and compelling issues threatening our collective existence”, he added.
The Kogi-West lawmaker was reacting to the latest comments made by Ndume when he appeared as a guest on Arise TV’s ‘Prime Time’ on Monday, where he alleged that Tinubu had been unfair to other parts of the country in the appointments he made so far.
Ndume pointed to Section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution, which mandates that political appointments reflect the country’s diversity.
“The figures are there. You can look at the figures. I sent you one. I sent you figures. It’s not that I’m just making accusations. And it’s not that I’m saying, well, the president has no right to do that kind of thing.
“But it’s a constitutional provision. Section 13, I mean, Section 14 (3) of the constitution is very, very clear,” he said.
The senator added that the current appointments fail to align with the federal character principle as outlined by law.
“When you look at it vis-a-vis the appointments made so far, and there are political appointments, the constitution is very clear.
Section 14(3) of the Constitution, which deals with federal character, Ndume argued that so far, Tinubu had breached it in his appointments.
Ndume said: “Appointments, especially political appointments, should reflect the federal character, and that is not the case here.
“I think I have a better personal relationship with most of these people, but that does not stop me from speaking the truth. I have an obligation to do that.”
Everyone, each one of us, will stand before God and account for what he is responsible for.”
