The Ijaw Youth Council ( IYC ) Worldwide on Friday rejected the removal of Mr. Mathew Seifa as the Director-General of the Department of State Security (DSS) by President Muhammadu Buhari, who replaced him with Mr. Yusuf Bichi.
The youth body described the appointment as a true reflection of the President’s ethnic bias and nepotism, which it said had been on display since Buhari was sworn in on May 29, 2015.
Secretary-General of the IYC, Mr. Alfred Kemepado in a statement in Yenagoa said: “We wonder why the President will appoint a man who had finished his term and retired about six months ago in place of a very qualified Matthew Seiyefa who was already doing a fantastic job for the government”.
“We understand that the next most qualified people who should have been appointed are all from Southern Nigeria but because of tribalism and sectional interest, Buhari looked the other way and went to bring Bichi back from retirement.
“We condemn the action of the President for his insensitivity, outright disrespect and disregard for people of the South. The provocative action has become obvious that Buhari no longer pretend about his dislike for the concept of ‘ A Nigeria for All Nigerians’.”
The IYC scribe charged members of the President’s cabinet from the south to protest the appointment of the new DSS helmsman by walking out of the government adding that doing so would demonstrate their patriotism.
“The removal of Mr. Mathew Seiyefa, who is by far more experienced and qualified for the number one DSS job should not be forgiven and forgotten. We call on people of the region not to consider the President as an ally when it comes to their development.
“The President has shown disrespect and consistently assaulted our collective sensibilities even in the way he has treated members of his cabinet from our region”, he said.
