A forum of the defunct Congress for Progressives Change (CPC) members in the seventeen Southern state, on the platform of Southern Mandate has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to either consider their former national chairman Chief Tony Momoh or Eng. Buba Galadima as the next Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) in the next appointment.
The Southern Mandate members also demanded for outright sack of the suspended SGF Engr. David Lawal Babchir, for having “penchant for corruption” contrary to the focus of the APC government.
A statement signed on Sunday in Abuja by the national coordinator of Southern Mandate, Comrade Ikonomwan Francis, said the request was an opportunity for President Buhari to right the wrong “created in the appointment he has been making so far by replacing the SGF with Prince Tony Momoh or political workaholic Engr. Buba Galadima.”
The statement read in part: “We core members of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in the seventeen southern states in Nigeria under the auspices of Southern Mandate wish to call on President Mohammadu Buhari to as a matter of urgency to out rightly sack the suspended SGF BabaChir Lawal.
We have taken time to x-ray his antecedence our research reveals that he is very arrogant, mean and has no respect for constituted authority. His attitude towards our distinguished Senators of the Federal Republic is a clear demonstration of this fact and also he has no respect for democracy, therefore has no business benefitting from democratic institution. It becomes very exigent for Mr. President to sack him immediately and the anti-graft agency should persecute him without delay.”
On the need to appoint either Chief Momoh of Engr Galadima as the next SGF, the group said: “These are men who led the defunct CPC to give the now President Mohammadu Buhari over 12millions votes in 2011. This is the only way our President can say thank you to the core members of the defunct CPC.
“The truth remains that the other political parties that merged and coalesced with CPC only 2.8millions votes in 2015.
“As far as we of the Southern Mandate is concerned, they added little or no value in the emergency of President Muhammadu Buhari but suffice  to mention here that, they who are strangers in Buhari’s project have hijacked the entire process and are feeding fat, while the people that make Buhari, a mass movement and a political hurricane are now feeding like an ant in a project we laid our lives for.
“We wish to reiterate our earlier position that the key appointments Mr. President has made so far are occupied by strangers who do not share the same vision and mission of President Buhari for a better Nigeria. For instance the suspend SGF Babachir Lawal, came from the blues to occupy the all important office of the SGF. We are therefore not surprised that he has a penchant for corruption.
“Prince Tony Momoh and Engr. Buba Galadima are men of implacable character who are co-vision bearer with President Mohammadu Buhari. These men made a very strong foundation for President Buhari. We are aware that Engr. Buba Galadima turned down three major juicy appointments from former President Olusegun Obasanjo we also have it on record that former President Goodluck Jonathan offered him FCT ministerial appointment and a cash offer of 2billion naira to abandoned Buhari’s project but blatantly refused the juicy offer. On the other hand Prince Tony Momoh is Buhari personified. Who has sworned in many public fora that the day he will take bribe thunder will strike him dead. It is mind blowing that these men are not in Buhari’s cabinet today.”
