Here’s the reason the recent recruitment into the DSS is causing so much uproar

The Department of State Services (DSS) has not been able to refute reports making the rounds in the media about its lopsided appointments. In fact, an unconfirmed response, which was credited to an unnamed source in the presidency, was unconvincing and worrisome.

Of 479 newly recruited cadets who were commissioned last March, Premium Times reports that 331 of these officers were from the 19 northern states and the FCT.  Also, the newspaper confirmed that Katsina State, the home state of the president and director general of the DSS, got 51 officers, while Lagos and Akwa Ibom got 7 and 5 officers respectively.

When these numbers are placed side by side with other recent top security appointments, it becomes extremely difficult to rule out a calculated attempt to favor a particular section of the country over the others.

These feelings of marginalization were exactly what the framers of the constitution tried to avoid with the federal character principle. In fact, many scholars argue that the Nigerian Civil War, also known as the Biafran War, was mainly because the Igbos felt they could no longer coexist with the Northern-dominated federal government. This kind of feeling should never resurrect in our days.

Even though many Nigerians know the importance of merit, Nigeria’s peculiar history makes many comfortable with the federal character principle. The country has, since Gowon’s administration, tried to balance merit with federal character, which ensures that every part of the country is equally represented.

Though this has promoted mediocrity in some cases, it has also calmed frayed nerves in other cases. The feeling of distrust among ethnic groups has, sadly, not vanished.

This feeling, though very palpable now, has been in every regime. When former President Jonathan appointed Major-General Kenneth Minimah, a Niger Deltan like himself from Rivers State, as the chief of army staff so many interpretations were given to the appointment.

Though some have argued that Jonathan’s appointments were also lopsided, shouldn’t a government which preached change set a good example? (The distribution of Jonathan’s security appointments was not criticized as much as Buhari’s is being criticized.)

With the current recruitments into top security posts and this recent recruitment in the DSS, many are really worried about the fate of the country and the sincerity of this current administration.

For instance, in 2015, in the early days of this administration, the newly appointed leadership of the DSS sacked 65 newly recruited cadets, including the sibling of Marilyn Ogar, a former spokesman of the Service. Sources within the Service claimed that the process which brought in these sacked recruits were flawed because they came in through the influence of politicians.

This so called weeding process was applauded by many in the early days of this administration.

Sadly, the Service, which had argued that it was on a cleansing mission, has not been able to convince the public on the criteria it used in its recent recruitment.

The unconfirmed response making the headlines says this recruitment was to balance the ills of the past. Could the past be Jonathan, Yar’Adua or Obasanjo’s reign? Obviously, former military presidents would not have shortchanged the north.

The various interpretations these appointments are generating are not healthy for the country. Currently, senior politicians from the south are complaining, bitterly, about how they are being marginalized. This kind of public complaint waters the fertile minds of agitators, especially the Biafran agitators.