Former military administrator of Ekiti and Gombe States, retired Colonel Mohammed Inuwa Bawa, has faulted the choice of Alhaji Kabiru Tanimu Turaki as the ministerial nominee from Kebbi State, saying the choice has heightened the feeling of marginalization among the people of Kebbi South senatorial zone of the state.

Bawa who spoke with Daily Trust in Abuja, said Kebbi Central and North senatorial zones have always dominated the state in terms of appointments and siting of projects as all the governors and ministers in the state always come from the two zones, while they also benefit largely from projects while the Kebbi South zone is always left without any key appointment or project.

He said while he does not have a problem with Turaki as a person, he felt the search for a new minister should have provided the state a chance to give the Yauri and Zuru Emirates that make up the Kebbi South zone a sense of belonging.

The former administrator maintained that why the state does not seem to get it right in terms of appointments that would take cognizance of the needs of the people is because it has restricted the search to only PDP members.

He said since we are in a democracy, fairness should be the watchword or Kebbi would lose its relevance as the “land of equity” since even indigenes of the state do not feel carried along.