Taraba Advocacy for Justice Equity and Good Governance, a non-governmental organisation, has decried the marginalisation of Taraba central senatorial Zone in the appointment of ministers from the state since 1999.
Mahmoud Lamu, the secretary of the group in the state stated this while addressing newsmen on Saturday in Jalingo.
Mr Lamu described the situation as a victimisation of a whole senatorial district for the past 24 years of democratic rule in Nigeria.
He said that out of 11 the ministers appointed within the period under review, none was from the zone.
The secretary said that while the southern zone in the state had had 11 slots, the Northern Zone had enjoyed only four.
He appealed to the president-elect, Bola Tinubu, to consider the appointment of Hassan Ardo, who had worked for the party to achieve its successes in the elections.
“The issue or marginalisation has been bothering us for many years, most especially as the zone is known to be the political heartbeat of our great party APC in the state,” he said.
He said in spite the zone’s performance in giving the party large number of votes, it has been sidelined in the consideration of ministerial appointments.
“It is common knowledge that since the return of democracy in 1999, Taraba had 11 ministerial appointments from only two senatorial zones; the North and the southern zones leaving the central zone with none.
“Available records shows that, the Northern zone produced Dr Mohammed Shatta, Late Aisha Jummai Alhassan, Mr Sale Mamman and Hon. Muazu Jaji Sambo.
“The Southern zone produced retired Gen. T Y Danjuma, Mr. Obadiah Ando, Mrs Salomi Jankada, Dr. Alhassan Zaku, Ambassador Idiris Waziri, Mr. Darius Ishaku and Mr Mr. Joel Ikenya
”It is equally disturbing that of all the 11 appointed ministers from the state, none was from the zone in spite having produced notable politicians who served the APC.
”In the light of the above, we wish to at this juncture, draw the attention of the national leadership of the APC, President-elect and Vice President-elect to wade into this matter,“he said.
NAN
