As Nigerians await the unveiling of
the members of President Muhammadu Buahri’s cabinet, JOHN ALECHENU a columnist with
PUNCH examines the likely shape of the Buhari cabinet and takes a look at
individuals being considered to play a part
Read it after the cut…
After the euphoria of the May 29
inauguration ceremony, President Muhammadu Buhari and the governing All
Progressives Congress are now faced with the task of delivering on promises
they made to Nigerians during the electioneering.
Prominent among promises
contained in the ‘Change’ slogan of the APC is the revamping of the nation’s
economy and the security of lives and property of citizens.
Enormous as these challenges
appear, the governing party has declared that it has the capacity to frontally
deal with these and other problems requiring urgent government attention.
To deliver on these promises,
Buhari must first select a team that will give life to his vision for building
a new Nigeria.
It has been one week since the
inauguration, but the new President has only announced three appointments. They
are that of Mr. Femi Adesina, Special Adviser, (Media and Publicity); Malam
Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant (Media and Publicity); and Malam Lawal
Kazaure as the State Chief of Protocol.
He has, however, asked for and
obtained approval from the Senate to appoint 15 special advisers to assist him.
Many Nigerians are eager to have
him unveil members of the Federal Executive Council who will head the various
ministries.
Buhari had earlier announced his
decision to move away from the practice where governors literally picked ministers
for the President.
He said in an interview, “I have
been around long enough to know people that I can approach for things like
that. Deliberately, we will look for competent people, dedicated and
experienced to head ministries and, of course, there will be schedules for ministers
and we will expect them to fill them.
“Certainly, there is a lot to do
but we are hoping that we will get good people to be in charge of ministries
who can apply themselves to their responsibilities so that in no time,
Nigerians would begin to see the difference.”
The search for “good people” has
reached an advanced stage and some names have begun to make the rounds as
possible picks.
Buhari has been holding a series
of meetings within and outside the country to feel the pulse of the leadership
as well as competing interests within and outside the party to come to a
compromise.
National Chairman of the APC
Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, confirmed this to journalists in Abuja.
In a veiled reference to ongoing
consultations over ministerial appointments, Odigie-Oyegun, said, “All I can
say is that, Mr. President is committed to carrying the party along in
everything that he does and we are very grateful for that.
“He has always been like that, he
has put the party in the front burner in all the things he has done at all
times and he has continued to do that.”
In the interim, there are strong
indications that several known faces, especially prominent members of the APC
as well as technocrats from previous administrations, will make the new
cabinet.
Due to immense contributions of a
former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, to the merger and the
success of the APC in the 2015 general elections, he is expected to nominate at
least three cabinet members.
Although the exact portfolios are
still being kept under wraps, it was gathered that a Tinubu protégé, Mr. Wale
Edun, is to play a key role in managing the nation’s finances.
Edun, a former Commissioner of
Finance in Lagos State, is being considered to head the Ministry of Finance.
Deputy Director-General of the
APC Presidential Campaign Council, Senator Olorunnibe Mamora, is expected to
make the cut as a member of the Federal Executive Council.
Former Governor of Ekiti State,
Dr. Kayode Fayemi, who is said to be very close to the President, is also
expected to play a prominent cabinet role in the Buhari’s administration. His
possible nomination is said to be ruffling some feathers in the Tinubu’s camp.
Other names being mentioned
include that of the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Alhaji Lai
Mohammed, who is being considered for the headship of the Information Ministry.
A Second Republic Minister of
Communications, Chief Audu Ogbeh, who was the face of the Buhari campaign
before the APC Presidential primary, is also being considered for ministerial
appointment.
To douse growing tension within
the party, its leadership will be allowed to nominate a few cabinet members,
who must pass the integrity test set by Buhari.
Immediate past governors –
Babatunde Fashola(Lagos); Rotimi Amaechi(Rivers); and Rabiu Kwankwaso(Kano) –
are among some of the names being considered.
If feelers coming from the Buhari
camp are anything to go by, Fashola, who was in charge of the APC Presidential
Campaign Committee, may emerge as the Attorney-General of the Federation and
Minister of Justice.
His supporters said his sterling
performance as governor and his background as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria,
have long before now attracted Buhari’s interest.
Influential members of the party
also suggest that Kwankwaso, who will join his colleagues to be inaugurated as
a Senator next week, may be given the right of first refusal for the position
of Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
If he is offered and he accepts,
it will be a continuation of what is slowly becoming a tradition by successive
administrations to pick ministers of the FCT from the Senate.
The late President Umaru Yar’Adua
picked Senator Adamu Aliero from the Senate as FCT minister and his successor,
former President Goodluck Jonathan, picked Senator Bala Mohammed as his
Minister for the FCT, also from the Senate.
Close associates of the
President, making a case for the former Kano State governor, claimed that his
performance in Kano State, as well as his political clout, which was
demonstrated during the APC presidential primaries, will come in handy in
getting things done.
Although some have argued that
the South-East geo-political zone has literally shut itself out of contention
for principal positions in the National Assembly, it is entitled to a statutory
ministerial slot.
A former Anambra State Governor,
Senator Chris Ngige, is being considered to fill the position.
Ngige, a medical doctor, who
until his foray into politics, rose to the position of Director in the Federal
Ministry of Health, is also being considered for ministerial position.
In addition, the South-East is
also to produce the next Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
A former national chairman of the
defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, appears set to be
announced as SGF.
In the area of security, a former
Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Abdurrahman Dambazau (retd.), is being tipped to
occupy the position of National Security Adviser.
The former Army Chief holds a
Doctorate degree in Criminology, and served as Director of Security and
Intelligence of the Buhari campaign organisation.
A former Military Administrator
of Kaduna State, Col. Hameed Ali (retd.), who played the role of Buhari’s Chief
of Staff before the general elections, is also being considered for a
yet-to-be-verified role in the President’s cabinet.
Women are not left out of the
permutations of possible entrants into the elite class of public servants cum
political appointees. One such name is Hajiya Hadiza Usman, one of the leading
promoters of the #BringbackourGirls# campaign.
Apart from those being considered
for ministerial positions, some former as well as serving APC governors are to
remain influential in the president’s decision making process.
They include but not limited to
the Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole; and the new Governor of Kaduna State,
Mallam Nasir el-Rufai.
Lai Mohammed, however, dismissed
as mere speculation the list of ministers being “bandied” in the papers and on
the social media.
He told Saturday PUNCH, “These
are mere speculations. When the names are ready, it will be made public using the
appropriate channels. Why don’t you wait? It will not take time.”
Also speaking about the issue,
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba
Shehu, said it was important to wait for the inauguration of the 8th National
Assembly next week before jumping into any conclusion.
In response to a question on when
his principal will announce his cabinet, Shehu, who called for understanding,
said, “I have no idea, absolutely no idea. But it is not something anybody will
rush because you know that the National Assembly will have to approve the
President’s nominees.
“The incoming 8th National
Assembly must be given the opportunity to fully participate in the process.’’
One thing however stands out.
There is a strong likelihood that the Buhari administration will lead a lean
cabinet considering its anti-corruption posture as well as the austere
lifestyle of the President. How Buhari navigates the challenge of conflicting
interests to form his cabinet will define the character of his administration
in the years ahead.
Credit: PUNCH
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