Abba Hamisu Sani
Africa-Press – Nigeria. After about two months since taking over as the President of Nigeria Tinubu has on Thursday 27th July submitted the names of 28 nominees as part of his Ministerial list to the national Assembly for screening and approval as required by the law.
Even though the Nigerian Constitution makes it mandatory for the President to transmit the names of ministerial nominees to the National Assembly within 60 days of assumption of office, Nigerians expected Tinubu’s government to do the appointment of Ministers long ago .
Nigeria has 36 States and Federal Capital territory with each to have at list a Minister to represent the state at the Federal executive council.
The 28 Ministerial list submitted by the President is the first batch as additional names are expected to be released to the National Assembly.
The first batch of Ministerial Nominees
The first set of nomination was overshadowed by politicians including ex-governors, serving and former members of the Senate and House of Representatives as the names include ;
Yusuf Maitama Tuggar and
Ali Pate from Bauchi state,
Abubakar Kyari from Borno
Sani Abubakar Danladi who was a former acting governor of Taraba state make the list.
Badaru Abubakar from Jigawa state and Nasiru El-Rufai of Kaduna state are all immediate past governors.
While Ahmed Dangiwa and
Hannatu Musawa are from Katsina
State ,Bello Muhammad Goronyo is from Sokoto state .Lateef Fagbemi Kwara state,
Muhammad Idris is to represent Niger state .Iman Suleiman Ibrahim is from Nasarawa and
Joseph Utsev from Benue
Others are ; Olubunmi Tunji Ojo from Ondo state .Dele Alake who is the current spokesperson to the President is from Ekiti
Olawale Edun is from Ogun state ,Waheed Adebayo Adelabu is from Oyo state.
Nyesom Wike is also the immediate past governor of Rivers state under the opposition PDP, Abubakar Momoh is from Edo state,
Betta Edu from Cross River state
Ekperikpe Ekpo is from Akwa Ibom state Stella Okotette is from Delta while John Enoh is to represent Cross River state.
The list also include ;
Uche Nnaji from Enugu state,
Doris Aniche Uzoka from Imo state
David Umahi who is also the immediate past governor is from Ebonyi state ,Nkeiruka Onyejocha is from Abia state and
Uju Kennedy Ohaneye from Anambra state.
The list of Nominees was submitted to the Senate President Godswill Akpabio at the National Assembly by the chief of staff to the President Femi Gbajabiamila who was the immediate past Speaker of the House of the Representatives.
Akpabio said the list was dated July 27, 2023 and titled, ‘Request For Confirmation Of ministerial nominees .He also said additional nominations would be sent to the Senate in due course.
States that are missed out in the Ministerial list
Out of the 36 states of the federation ten were missed out in the ministerial list to be screened for confirmation as ministers to serve under the APC Federal government.
The states include the two most populous Kano and Lagos while the rest are ; Adamawa, Bayelsa, Gombe, Kebbi, Kogi, Osun, Yobe and Zamfara.
Many analysts are of the opinion that Tinubu’s submission of the cabinet nominees come within the time frame as prescribed by the law and at a shorter period compared to that of his predecessor Muhammadu Buhari during his first tenure which took him six month before appointing Ministers, but the caliber of people nominated is not something to be celebrated as names of former governors are part of the list
Against the appointment of Governors as Tinubu’s Cabinet Members
It is common knowledge that governors are being described as the major contributors to the Nigeria’s bad leadership considering the role they play at their various states and in the emergence of both members of legislative arm at the Federal level.
Comrade Funsho Ajimuda is the chairman of South West Youth Forum .He urged President Tinubu not to appoint Ex governors as Ministers.
The activist disclosed this in a press statement a few days before the President’s transmission of the ministerial list to the National Assembly for screening.
He accused most of the past Governors of plundering their respective states into humongous domestic and foreign debts.
“As it has been speculated that many of the immediate past governors in the country are lobbying to be appointed a minister or the other. It is an act of greed, shamelessness and selfishness that 8 year executive governors will be angling to be a Minister while their political son Governors.
“The Forum wishes to reiterate that such advances from these Governors should be ignored. It is on record that this crop of Governors plundered their respective states and plunged the states into humongous debts- domestic and foreign.
“It is glaring that most of these past governors ruin government business without adequate plan, concept or blueprint. They are just after changing portfolios from the chief executive officer of the state to minister or senator. As governors, they had the opportunity to serve the people but they ended up serving themselves and their cohort alone with track records riddled with failed promises, corruption and inefficiency.
“These past governors have nothing again to offer. Evidence across Nigeria shows that most state governors have bastardized Nigeria’s educational system to the extent that Corpers are now in charge of most schools as a result of non-recruitment of Teachers. Even the few teachers available are owed a backlog of salary arrears,” He said.
He further urged the president to appoint better hands as ministers, individuals who are technocrats and willing to make good legacies, people who are managers and rescue the nation from the present economic doldrums.
The leader of the Forum added that they have no doubt in the ability of the President to not only defend over 220 million Nigerians but to also make lives bearable and affordable to ordinary Nigerians.
They said they have confidence that Tinubu has experience in the public sector and track record in human resources management which will be reflected in his ministerial nominees.
Despite the advice Tinubu’s list of Ministers has included the names of former governors in what seems to be a list of recycled Politicians that served at different points since the return of Democracy in 1999.
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