The Convener of the North-South Progressives Alliance (NOSPA), a support group within the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alwan Hassan has called on all appointees in the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to display a high sense of loyalty and submit themselves to the dictates of the All Progressives Congress, under which platform the government was formed.
Hassan made the call during two separate visits to the Nigerian Ambassador to Germany, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar and the former governor of Kano State, Alh. Abdullahi Ganduje.
According to him, by virtue of their membership of the All Progressives Congress, being the party at the helm of affairs, President Bola Tinubu has provided them with the opportunity to serve their fatherland and this opportunity must not be abused by been disloyal and going against the dictates of the party.
“The appointees must have it at the back of their minds that they have been called upon to assist Mr. President in actualizing the promises made to Nigerians in the Manifesto of the APC, and as such must subject themselves to routine impact assessment that the party may subject them to in order to ensure that they do not derail in the task of helping the President to achieve the socio-economic growth and development he promised Nigerians.”
Hassan kicked against calls that only technocrats should form the core of the president’s team.
He said “although majority of the appointees have been nominated and appointed based on their professional expertise and experience in their individual fields, there is nothing stopping them from being members of a political party, just like there is nothing stopping technocrat from being certified members of the party.”
Responding, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar, who is also a Ministerial nominee, concurred by acknowledging that all government appointees are political appointees, irrespective of their professional expertise. So, they should be answerable to both the President as the leader of the government, and the party that produced the government which they serve under.
He said that such system of political accountability will in turn make partisan politics attractive to professionals who prefer to be seen as technocrats while standing aloof of political activities.
Ambassador Tuggar commended Hassan for making such a request of appointees and prayed that all serving and incoming appointees will see the need to honour the request.
He assured NOSPA of his continued support to young professionals in the party and encouraged them to relentlessly contribute to the growth of the country and the APC.
On his part, former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje applauded the Convener of the group for championing such collaboration and working partnership between the party and the political appointees.
He expressed his firm belief in the leadership of the All Progressives Congress ensuring in ensuring that all political appointees work in synergy with the party to actualize the Renewed Hope manifesto, adding that the days of the party and political appointees working at cross purposes are gone.
The former governor of Kano State is tipped to emerge as the National Party Chairman of the APC at the party’s forthcoming NEC meeting.
