By Abdullahi Alhassan, Kaduna
Coalition of Civil Society Organizations of Nigeria (CCSON) has said that appointing Halimat Tejuosho Adenike as Humanitarian Affairs Minister will reduce agitations from different groups cut across the country.
The group in a press statement jointly signed by the Deputy National Chairman and Spokesperson of the coalition Comrade Auwal Mohammed and Joy Elizabeth was reacting to the seven appointments made by president Bola Ahmed Tinubu under the federal ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, on Tuesday night.
Applauding president Tinubu for the appointments, the group stated that the move is a clear reflection of what Tejuosho has been telling them that the president is committed to take Nigeria to the promise land.
The group however, urged Tinubu to consider Adenike for the position of Humanitarian Affairs Minister because her track record of intervention in the ongoing nationwide protests is outstanding and therefore should be given the full opportunity in the president Tinubu’s led administration to enable her contribute her quota to national development.
CCSON, a Coalition of over 200 Civil Society Groups, that constitutes over 50 million members across the 36 states of Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT) avered that Tejuosho risked her life from Abuja to Jos in the view to speak with protesters in other for them to end the protest which they obliged, stressing that her intervention in Kogi foiled the protest with no single interest.
Auwal further reiterated that the people living with disabilities, whom Adenike serve as their national patron also shunned the protest because of her interest, adding that there is nowhere in Nigeria that a single PLWDs was seen to have joined the Nationwide protest, courtesy of Adenike’s role.
The national chairman while making reference to Kogi State, also added that Adenike had several town hall meetings with Kogi youths both in Lokoja and Abuja sensitizing them on the need not to be part of the protest due to the complexity nature of the state and they obliged.
They also worried that they have unravelled plans by some prominent personalities in the North, lobbying to hijack the Humanitarian Affairs Ministry, urging the president not to succumb to the pressure on the ground that the position belong to a southerner and not for the North.
He said, “Our major surprise is on the ground that some of those political appointees under president Bola Ahmed Tinubu could not even come out to defend the him because of fear of attack but Adenike used her personal resources meeting with different groups to foil the protest.
“The people of plateau state had to stop the protest because of her intervention on Sunday. Also, Kogi State and people living with disability refused to even participate at all because of her intervention.
“So we are calling on the president for her immediate nomination as Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, following her outstanding track record and mediation skills, even if not for anything else for that singular act during this crisis where those that were leaders did not show face.
“Humanitarian Affairs is a very sensitive ministry which a vacuum that the suspended Minister created is part of what led to the protest. So there is nothing wrong if the president should consider the recommendation of more than 70 CSOs that has written and calling on Mr president to consider her appointment.
“Appointing her will make Nigerians believe that Mr. President is interested in the welfare of young Nigerians. This CSOs constitutes over 50 million people cuts across the country. This means that if Adenike is appointed those that are agitating have been tactically settled because the agitations will reduce drastically.” Part of the statement reads.