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Yar’Adua and Mixed Bag of New
Cabinet
When President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua sent the list of the new
ministerial nominees last week to the National Assembly, some of the
names were already familiar to many Nigerians.
Nobody expected the President to pick the ministers from the moon
but among Nigerians. Even though most of our politicians have not
lived up to the electorate’s expectations, there is always room for
penance. The choice of the new ministerial nominees should not
therefore, be expected to be very saintly.
In the past one and half years of President Yar’Adua’s
administration, many Nigerians have complained bitterly on the
administration’s relative hold-up in fashioning out clear cut
policies capable of meeting the needs of Nigerian populace. The
complaints were so palpable that the president had no option but to
drop some of his ministers on October 30, 2008 to pave way for the
appointments of new ones.
Several weeks passed, Nigerians waited for the new ministerial
nominees but the president wasn’t the type that is used to fire
brigade approach in taking decisions of national importance. If
anything, he is one leader who believes in consultations in tackling
issues capable of affecting the welfare of Nigerians.
The Executive Council of any country is its think tank. Most of the
fundamental policies which could have direct bearing on the citizens
are decided by the executive council. It is not therefore out of
place for President Yar’Adua to have spent much time to scan the
nooks and crannies of the nation in search of capable hands to form
his new cabinet.
A peep into the list of the thirteen new ministerial nominees
revealed that they are men and women of proven integrity; names like
Prof. Babatunde Osotimehin, Director General National Action
Committee on AIDS (NACA), Prof. Dora Akunyili, Director General
National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC),
Dr. Rilwanu Lukman, former Minister of Petroleum Resources and Sam
Egwu, former Governor of Ebonyi State are all familiar faces in the
nation’s polity.
They are also men and women who have proven their worth in their
various fields of endeavour.
Profs. Osotimehin and Akunyili have all made remarkable achievements
in NACA and NAFDAC respectively. They are in a unique class of doing
things for common good. Take for instance Prof. Akunyili has been a
target of hired assassins due to her patriotism in tackling the
issue of fake drugs in the country. She is therefore one woman that
if given ministerial position, she would prove her mettle in which
ever ministry she is given to oversee.
Dr. Rilwanu Lukman has served as the Minister of Petroleum Resources
and Chairman of Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries
(OPEC). He has also served as Special Adviser on Petroleum Matters
in former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s kitchen cabinet. There is no
doubt that he is a man with wealth of experience who if given any
ministry to oversee, he would perform excellently. But Lukeman has
been a recycled face. He should be seen as tired face. Is he the
only person that has solution to our energy crises?
Sources from the Presidency revealed that the list of the thirteen
ministerial nominees is not exhaustive as some states are yet to
submit their nominees to the president. In Kogi State for instance,
the ethnic-based politics in allocation of political offices seems
to have stalled the emergence of a nominee by the stakeholders. All
things being equal, it is hoped that by the time the remaining
states submit their nominees, the President would make the best
choice of capable hands to form the nation’s executive council.
There is hope that President Yar’Adua is a good listener who has
heard many complaints from Nigerians on some of the teething
problems facing the nation. It is presumed that he has also felt the
pulse of the people on some of the shortcomings of his
administration. He has, therefore, decided to take his time to make
the choice of best hands in forming his new cabinet. But can we get
anything good from some Ex-Governors who are on the list?
Ex-Governors Sam Egwu and Achike Udenwa are still being investigated
by the EFCC.
A lot of Nigerians have kept complaining on the slow pace of
implementation of the seven point agenda of Mr. President. The
sacking of twenty ministers on October 30 was borne out of the dire
need to inject new blood in the nation’s executive council. Perhaps
when the new cabinet is finally formed the much anticipated
accelerated development would take shape in the country.
The President no doubt is not an extra-terrestrial being. He is a
mortal just as we are. There might be some shortcomings in the
choice of some new ministers but it is believed that a good number
of them, this time around, would make a difference in the nation’s
governance.
President Yar’Adua must have seen numerous loop-holes and he seems
prepared to take them.
As a leader with much democratic experience and a strict observer of
the rule of law, the President has the determination of using the
best of brains to positively transform the nation’s economy. He
understands very well that he cannot make an in-road without capable
political aides.
As things are for now, Nigerians are waiting anxiously for the
inauguration of the cabinet and the innovations the new men and
women would bring to bear on the nation’s socio-economic
development. The president will therefore, have to place a tall
order for the new ministers to perform in office.
Leadership at whatever level is a very serious business. It is hoped
that some of the in coming cabinet members who have performed
excellently in their various places of works would help Mr.
President to shape the nation’s economy for good. It is only then
that Nigerians would openly applaud their choice for the ministerial
positions in the country.
Prof. Dora Akunyili
Ex- Gov. Achike Udenwa
US Workshop is Rewarding – Kogi Legislators
The Kogi State House of Assembly resumed sitting after about six
weeks recess during which the Honourable members (18 of them and the
Clerk) visited the United States of America (USA) to attend a
seminar on Legislation.
The Majority Leader, Hon. (Bar) Adamu Mohammed who gave a report to
the House on behalf of all the legislators who attended the seminar
stated that their experience in USA was quite enriching and
rewarding. He said they were taught about the intricacies of
legislative procedures, the importance of over sight functions and
how to touch the lives of the people through effective legislation.
The Majority Leader is of the view that if the legislators who
attended the workshop could put into practice only 60% of what they
have learnt in the US, Kogi State would witness a very rapid
development through effective delivery of democracy dividends.
The Majority Leader commended the efforts of Professor Damien Dennis
Ejigiri, the Dean of Nelson Mandela School of Public Policy and
urban Affairs in Southern University College, Baton Ronge, Lovinsana
and other resource persons who he said really touched the life of
the honourable members while in USA.
At the commencement of the day’s plenary sitting, the Rt. Hon.
Speaker, Hon. Chief Clarence Olafemi read out a letter from the
Executive Governor of the State forwarding to the House for approval
Commission/Board member nominees for the Local Government Service
Commission and the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) as
follows.
Local Government Service Commission
1. Barr. Emmanuel Dangana Ocheja -Chairman
2. Hon. Salifu Ibrahim – Permanent member
3. Lami Joshua – Permanent member
4. Richard Haruna – Permanent member
5. Mohammed Omuya – Permanent member
6. Chief Micheal Ozovehe – Permanent member
State Independent Electoral Commission
i. Abraham Olaniyan – Chairman
ii. Kehinde Asalu – full time member
iii. Abdullahi Bello – full time member
iv. A.A. Samari – full time member
v. Micheal Omali – full time member
vi. David Apeh – full time member
vii. Suberu Amoka – full time member
viii. (Alh) Haruna Ibrahim – full time member
The Speaker also read out a letter from the Executive Chairman,
Dekina Local Government council requesting that the Secretary
Nominee, Mallam Abubakar Aliyu earlier forwarded to the House should
be replaced with Hon. Tahir Yakubu (T.Y) Audu because the former is
unsuitable for the position.
Further still, the Rt. Hon. Speaker announced the reconstitution of
the house standing Committees. Details of this shall be publicized
in future editions of this paper. |
