Akure — Nigeria since the attainment of political independence in 1960 has undergone many stages of development. But despite the preachings and pretences that we are one, it is very obvious that so many things divide and alienate us from the visions of the founding fathers of the Nigerian nation.

Interestingly, after 49 years of nationhood, the cries of marginalisation can still be heard across the length and breadth of the country. This is more so when some Nigerians cannot boast of some square meals a day whereas some other privileged few live in opulence and use such wealth to intimidate and oppress the masses.

However, there has been an interesting dimension to these cries of marginalisation in the country in the recent years with the emergence of power-blocs comprising either individuals, geographical leanings or political alliances. One cannot forget in a hurry the Kaduna mafia, Kano mafia, Langtang mafia, Babangida boys, Abacha boys, Obasanjo boys, Katsina mafia and now Benue mafia. While people may dismiss these with a wave of the hand, it has been established in the people's consciousness that the influence of these groups has done some incalculable damage to either the ambition or political aspirations of so many people and communities.

Incidentally, since the coming of President Umaru Yar'Adua's administration in 2007, two power blocs have emerged and it is common knowledge that they exert a lot of influence and authority.

is the Katsina mafia which everybody believes decides much of the policy direction and decisions of the government especially on who gets what, when and how. Apart from the President himself, his wife, Turai appears to hold sway in this group and it is believed that politicians, bureaucrats, contractors and other favour seekers adore her as her word on any issue is law.

Surprisingly, media reports, speculations, outright accusations and conclusions suggest that another powerful mafia group has recently sprang up to the discomfiture of even the Katsina mafia and the kitchen cabinet of the administration. This is known as the Benue mafia. Whatever this group has going for it is yet to be unravelled but there are insinuations that they have formidable coordinators in the Minister of Justice, Chief Micheal Aondoaka and Justice Aloysius Katsina Alu of the Supreme Court.

In government circles, the fear of this group is the beginning of wisdom because from the political appointments made in this dispensation especially into sensitive government institutions and agencies, the Benue connection has continually grabbed it that when they are contestants to any vacant position in which a Benue person is interested, it is concluded that the non-Benue contestant would loose out. A quick look at some recent appointments would serve as an eye opener of some sort.

The Director-General of the National Agency for Control of AIDs (NACA), Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Managing Director of the Nigerian Export - Import Bank (NEXIM), Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Executive Secretary of National Agency Against Trafficking in Persons (NATIP), Managing Director, Federal Housing Authority (FHA), the President of the Senate and it is already in the public domain that Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu is tipped to succeed the present Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Legbo Kutigi when he retires in December this year.

Today, Benue State, which is one of the middle belt states that had over time complained of marginalisation, has now assumed a power-broker status and become a beautiful bride for political positions. It is therefore not surprising that some commentators and analysts have cried foul at the appearance of a Benue man's name in the scramble for the position of the Auditor-General of the Federation.

Those who hold this view argue that the North to which Benue belongs has had a fair share of plum positions in the public finance sector such as: The Presidency, Chief Economic Adviser to the President, Minister of Finance, Minister of National Planning, Accountant-General of the Federation, Governor of the Central Bank, Comptroller-General of Nigerian Customs Service, Secretary to the Government of Federation among others.

This is why most people are advocating a shift of the position of Auditor-General to the South at least in the interest of the Federal Character principle and for geographical balancing. There are also qualified personnel in the South just as there are in the North.

Flowing from the above, there had been a case of precedence during Chief Olusegun Obasanjo's regime when the Senate rejected the nomination of Mr. Joseph Ajiboye thrice because of the argument that people from the South-west zone from where Ajiboye hailed were occupying some of the sensitive positions in the public finance sector as obtains now.

If President Yar'Adua truly believes in the rule of law, due process and allowing every part of the country to have a sense of belonging, then he should demonstrate it by disregarding the rumoured pressure on him by the traditional rulers from Benue State and particularly from the Tiv axis, the influence of Aoandoaka who is allegedly protecting the interest of those who bankrolled his (president's) election and Justice Katsina-Alu who, analysts contend, saved the president's election at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal by breaking the tie to arrive at 4-3 in his favour.

TELL Newsmagazine in its cover stories of September 28, 2009 edition summed the argument thus "Those who accuse the attorney-general of shielding accused persons believe that there must be some gains in it for him. Perhaps because such persons are friends and godfathers, like it is said in the case of Ibori, who is believed to be a benefactor for Aondoaka in ensuring that he keeps his job. He is also believed to be in the good books of Turai Yar' Adua, wife of the president.

Even that privilege, sources say, may have been reinforced by the role he (Aondoaka) played in ensuring that Yar' Adua scaled the hurdle of the election petition tribunal, which resulted in a favourable judgement at the Supreme Court. That endeared him to the first lady and associates of the President believe that to now remove such a pillar of support would amount to ungratefulness". Could this be the reason he has continually cornered all the appointments for his Benue people and is poised to once again grab the Auditor-General's position to the detriment of the South?

No doubt, the President's decision in this direction in the days to come would confirm positively or negatively the existence of these mafia groups in his government and Aondoaka's super influence on him in particular. A respected nationalist and former military governor of Kaduna State, Colonel Abubakar Umar (Rtd) had had cause to fault the President on some of his appointments. He should correct this glaring imbalance between the North and South in the recent public finance sector appointments by appointing the substantive Auditor General from the South. With this, the hope that we are one and in the same country would be alive and sustained.

Opeyemi a public finance analysts, wrote in from Akure, Ondo State.