EXTRA: Buhari is president of all Nigerians — including witches and wizards, says Melaye

Dino Melaye, senator representing Kogi west, says President Muhammadu Buhari is the leader of everyone in Nigeria, including witches and wizards.

Melaye said this in an interview on national assembly TV.

He advised Buhari to make appointments based on merit and not political affiliation.

“It’s not all about the party. Even the president is not an APC president but the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, including the witches and wizards of this country. He is the president of everybody,” Melaye said.

“Development process is national and no one should be partisan about it. If you find a good man in PDP or APGA that can do the job perfectly, appoint him or her in the interest of national development than to bring an APC man that has no idea of what to do.

“Today in this country, there is an organisation headed by a lawyer, what do we expect from such appointment? We have ministers that have no cognate experience at all on where to serve. Do you screen ministerial nominees? We just insisted now.

“Do you remember that I brought a motion on the floor of senate to screen ministers? Now the president must attach their portfolios to us. If portfolios are attached, we can now ask questions in that area of discipline and see if he is capacitated, experienced enough, knowledgeable enough and has the technical know how to manage that particular portfolio. Except that is done, we will continue to run into crisis.

“Cabinet reshuffle has to do with the ministers. We have strategic positions in this country that is manned by wrong people; a coach is as good as members of his team. The president cannot be a minister of petroleum, minister of internal affairs but if he has good aides, the economy will move because these people will be working within their terrain.

“If a tailoring work is given to a carpenter, the output will be a beautiful nonsense. The president must rejig his appointments. The president should forget about politics and bring out people with vigour, better hands that will get the job done. Such people should be involved in the process irrespective of the party they belong or their tribes.”

He also alleged that Babachir Lawal, suspended secretary general of the federation, “misbehaved because he has never worked in any public service in his life before becoming the SGF”.