Ministers: No room for experimentation in Buhari’s second term —Akum, APC chieftain

WHAT is your assessment of the ministerial nominees and the process of their selection?

Judging from the screening so far, knowing some of them and their antecedent, it is a well thought-out list of nominees and by that there are high expectations on them to deliver.

 

Can these ministers make a difference in view of the antecedents of some of them that are returning to the federal cabinet?

It depends on the angle anybody is looking at. But from personal assessment, I feel that they would make a difference. I am sure President Muhammadu Buhari critically checked each and every one of them before their names were passed to the Senate for screening. They were not picked just from the blues. Their track records are there for people to check. The president this time around is not taking things for granted. He knows what the country needs at this critical time and as well knows who can deliver in all these areas. This is the second term and there’s no room again for experimentation.

 

In the first term, some of the returning ministers courted controversies in their ministries. One of them is former Minister of Labour and Productivity. If returned to the same ministry, don’t you think the face off will continue and further heat up the polity?

Some people at times will try to portray personal issue as governmental issue. For Dr Chris Ngige that you talked about, he may be posted to another ministry, even if he is posted to the same ministry, he might have learnt from the past and brace up to the reality of the ministry. I don’t think that should be an issue because the person who has the prerogative to appoint him has taken so many things into account before he appointed anyone of them. Some may be making statement from their political angle, some could be genuine and borne out patriotism. It all depends on where you are coming from.

 

Still on the background of those appointed, do you think this crop of appointees could take the country out of the woods?

We are optimistic and putting all things into account, there would be a change and the performance would be better than the first tenure. From the body language of the president, this time round, he is more determined than before to bequeath an enduring legacy. The appointees were carefully selected and based on their backgrounds they are not novices, considering their resumes and experiences in their various fields of endeavour. It is too early to chide them, but we are optimistic that they will perform.

• Kogi civil servants, pensioners facing untold hardship ― Ang Bishop

Do you subscribe to the idea of bow and go as done during the screening, particularly for nominees that were former members of the National Assembly?

Those who are saying the idea of ‘bow and go’ is not good for our democracy have their reasons. But it depends on the criteria spelt out for the exercise. The exercise is based on the constitutional provision. I also want the people to know that they are not just appearing empty handed, they might have submitted their curriculum vitae for scrutiny and more so nobody was stopped from asking question. Apart from this, all of them have passed through security screening and other investigations. So the ‘bow and go’ thing has not in any form diminished the value and importance of the exercise. When you are appointed to a ministry, you are an administrator and what is required is basic knowledge of administration. The Senate has not gone outside the constitution. What they have done is in order. I am saying this out of experience. Before they appeared, all their documents would have been submitted and they would have studied them enough to know the backgrounds of everyone of them.

 

In his inaugural speech, the president promised to run inclusive government but from all indications, it is all APC affairs. What is your opinion on this?

I don’t know the background of most of them, but what is important to me is that the president has assembled competent people to help him in the day-to-day running of the government. I want the government to give attention to the economy, particularly power and agriculture. You cannot hold the people back in the rural areas if you don’t provide basic amenities for them. So, government should focus on roads and power. I strongly believe that the next four years will be better than the past four years. Entrepreneurship education will help this country. Thank God, the government is thinking in this direction. The president will concentrate more this time round because he is not going to seek reelection.

 

As APC stalwart are you satisfied with the way the appointments were made?

It is the prerogative of the president to appoint ministers. He has justification for giving some states more than one slot. He has what is guiding him in doing so.