An amalgamation of youth support groups of the All Progressives Congress in Taraba says the state has been largely excluded from federal appointments and has urged that the state be considered in the formation of a new national government in the second tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari.
In a press statement after convening a media conference on Friday, the Taraba Youths Stakeholders Forum said despite the massive support of Taraba citizens for Buhari in the 2015 polls, “no indigene of Taraba state was appointed to head any federal parastatal in the last dispensation.”
“Except for the appointment of a minister, which is the statutory right of every Nigerian state, whether it be a stronghold of the ruling party or the opposition,” the forum chairman Suleiman Bakari added in the statement.
“Taraba is one the 36 states, and we feel there is need for us to have more,” Bakari told Daily Trust via phone.
“There is no single agency or MDA that is been headed by a chief executive officer from Taraba state.”
The forum’s call for more representation for Taraba comes days after the inauguration of Buhari’s second tenure and concern about his appointees continuing on or being replaced.
“Definitely there should be changes. This is democracy and that is how the dividends of democracy are taken down to the grassroots,” said Bakari.
“Of course there is need for rotation, that’s why we are coming up with this issue now, because we want it to be considered. This is the right time to talk about it.”
Outside of federal appointments, the forum has also endorsed a Taraba indigene Mohammed Mustapha for the position of national secretary of the APC, left vacant after the erstwhile secretary Mai Buni moved on to become the governor of Yobe state.
“We are of the informed view that in the careful consideration of candidates to fill the vacant position of National Secretary of the APC, which is still zoned to the North-East geopolitical region, due cognizance should be accorded to Taraba State, which currently does not hold any position in the National Working Committee of the party, as has been the case from the party’s inception,” said Bakari.
Mustapha, a constitutional lawyer, contested for the position of secretary at the party’s convention in 2018 but stepped down in favour of Buni after talks within the party structures.
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