Tinubu accused of blocking Igbo DCG’s promotion to CG, Ohanaeze cries out

Amah-Ugbor Samuel Nnachi,
South-East Bureau Chief

The apex social-cultural organization in Igbo land, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, has kicked against President Bola Tinubu’s alleged subtle scuttling of the promotion of the Deputy-Comptroller of Customs, BU Nwafor, as the Comptroller of Customs.

Recall that the media including The Mirror, have been awash with reports of President Tinubu’s extension of the tenure of Bashir Adewale Adeniyi as the Comptroller of Customs even after his tenure had elapsed.

The Ohanaeze Ndigbo, in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Dr Ezechi Chukwu, on Saturday, described this purported Presidential fiat as selective justice, institutional unfairness and a blatant display of nepotism over merit.

The statement read, “Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has expressed deep dissatisfaction with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, over his tactful manoeuvre to deny Deputy Controller General of Customs (DCG) BU Nwafor from Anambra State, her legitimate right of elevation to the rank of Controller General of Customs (CG).

“President Tinubu, a few days ago, granted a one-year tenure extension to the current Controller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, who is already due for retirement, thereby shortchanging the next in line of succession, DCG BU Nwafor, whose retirement would be due in October 2026.

“With this reprehensible development, the next in hierarchy after Nwafor, DCG KI Adeola is strategically positioned to take over from CG Adeniyi in 2026, rather than DCG Nwafor.

“Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide sees this selective justice and situational ethics as a crown-jewel of institutional unfairness, peak of favouritism and ultimate display of blatant nepotism over merit, bureaucratic standard and social conscience.

“This discriminatory act is a violation of the principle of national unity and tenets of the Nigerian national anthem, which echoes: ‘Though tribe and tongue may differ in brotherhood, we stand.

“Is this the prototype of the Nigerian brand of brotherhood and patriotism? Can we continue to pretend that we are one people and one nation in the face of this canonical ethnic profiling?”

The Igbo apex social-cultural body called on President Tinubu to rethink in order not to be seen as a leader who entrenches injustice, inequality, and lawbreakers.

“We therefore call on President Tinubu to revisit this obvious act of robbing Peter to pay Paul, which amounts to injustice, inequity, failure of public morality and a bruise on national pride. We once again ask, what has become of the constitutionally provided federal character principle?”