No Bias in Appointments - Buhari

The Presidency says President Muhammadu Buhari has been fair to all Nigerians irrespective of their ethnicity or religion since he came to office.

It said this was demonstrated by the composition of President Buhari's cabinet as well as his administration's policies and programmes.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity Mallam Garba Shehu, said this in a statement yesterday while reacting to the London Telegraph's article titled: "Children Face Death by Starvation in Northern Nigeria" published on August 30.

The presidential aide said the claims that Buhari's government was targeting Christians and the opposition were without foundation.

According to him, to suggest that Buhari's government is deepening Muslim-Christian division is not only untrue, but also plays into the hands of Boko Haram who wish to divide Nigerians along religious lines.

Shehu noted that the fight against insurgency was a key priority of the Buhari administration, saying the international community had widely acknowledged the president's determination to defeat terrorism in Nigeria and the entire Lake Chad Basin.



"There is nothing to gain by attempting to mould public opinion against these facts. Therefore we invite The Telegraph to visit Nigeria: to witness first hand not only the challenges we face, but the Administration's determination to confront them," he said.

He said also described as incorrect and unhelpful, the Telegraph's earlier piece, 'Nigeria Using UK Aid to Persecute President's Political Foes' published on April 12, that Nigeria was diverting UK aid monies away from defeating Boko Haram towards those identified as political opponents of the Buhari administration.

He said: "The fact is that the UK government does not give development aid to the Nigerian administration for use in military operations against Boko Haram. Where British military support such as intelligence is provided, it is precisely and only given for operations directly against Boko Haram."