Service Chiefs: North Central deserves Defence minister to balance zoning – NCCA tells Tinubu

Amb. Al’Mustapha Obaje, the National Chairman of North Central Consultative Assembly, has lamented the ill-treatment given to the North Central Zone by the Federal Government in socio-political calculations of the country.

Obaje, who stated this on Tuesday, during a visit by the contact team of North Central States led by Alhaji Bello Kassim and Tersoo Gbaor in Abuja, said the region deserves to get fair bargain in the political arrangement of the nation.

He said the zone has been abandoned again following the recent appointments of Service Chiefs made by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

He said, “The North Central Zone had been sociopolitically marginalized and unfairly treated in terms of infrastructural development. I feel we have not been fairly treated. Politically, we have been abandoned, we are neither here nor there in the core north or core south political calculations. We are hardly noticed even though the zone has always delivered bloc votes for the APC during elections.

“It is for this reason that the party’s leadership in the region decided to indicate interest and support aspirants from the region to vie for Principal offices at the National Assembly including the Deputy Senate Presidency and deputy Speakership positions but were still skimmed out unjustly and denied a position at the just concluded National Assembly’s leadership election.”

However, Obaje assured that the North Central Consultative Assembly is ready to project credible sons and daughters from the North Central Geopolitical zone with the requisite credentials and pedigree to work with President Tinubu for the unity and development of our Nation and importantly to retain power beyond 2023, while expressing the knowledge of Maj.Gen. Adebayo’s commitment to ensuring the smooth transition of power at the centre by providing the needed intelligence to subdue the plans of interim Government elements and funders.

Earlier, in his remarks, the leader of the North Central Consultative Assembly Contact Team, Alhaji Bello Kassim explained the assembly is in the Nation’s Capital to seek support of all well-meaning North Central leaders and President Tinubu for North Central to get the position of the Minister of Defence.

He said, “We congratulate our dear son; Major General Samuel A Adebayo for serving so very well as Chief of Defence Intelligence. He has the quality, credentials and requisite experience to fill the void of the Minister of Defence.

“We urge President Bola Tinubu to please for the sake of unity and devotion to nation’s building to consider North Central Zone for the position of Minister of Defence. Adebayo has served in different capacities within the military formations. Adebayo possesses the pedigree to consolidate the Nation’s Security and Defence gains and achievements if appointed Minister of Defence.”