The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has said that the Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi’s 14-man list of commissioners sent to the State Assembly on Tuesday, and another five names for the nomination of the chairman and members of the Ekiti State Local Government Service Commission (EKSLGSC), threatens democracy.
The MURIC director, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, said yesterday in a statement that the list is most disappointing as it contained only one Muslim.
“This list is heavily lopsided. Fayemi is ill-advised. He has grossly shortchanged Muslims. How can he give us only one commissioner out of 14?
“Even in Ondo state where the percentage of Muslims is lower, they were given four commissioners.
He lamented that only Alhaji Ayodele Jinadu is a Muslim out of his 14 commissioners, saying it is unacceptable and condemnable.
He said the Ekiti Muslims do not deserve this humiliation, as it is a betrayal in view of the undiluted support, they gave him during the elections.
He said, “Alhaja Maryam Ogunlade is the only Muslim member on the list of EKSLGSC. Alhaja Ogunlade was once the Ameerah (chairperson) of the Federation of Muslim Women Associations in Nigeria (FOMWAN) in Ekiti State. She deserves the position.
“But while we may not object to the EKSLGSC list, we keenly await the list of members and chairmen of other boards and agencies. We are interested in knowing how many of them will be chaired by Muslims. Muslims have been marginalized in the appointments made so far by Fayemi. They, therefore, deserve lofty positions in remaining appointments.
“Fayemi is a Christian, he picked a Christian as deputy governor, a Christian as chief of staff, a Christian as secretary to the state government, 13 Christians out of 14 commissioners have now been nominated. Muslims do not matter to him. Fayemi has wittingly excommunicated participatory democracy from Ekiti State.”
