submitted his much-awaited list of ministerial nominees to the senate for screening
and approval. Managing Editor YUSUF ALLI revisits the politics and the intrigues
behind the nominations.
At the nick of time, President Muhammadu Buhari surprised his anxious compatriots
with a list of his “dream team”. He lived up to his promise that members his cabinet
would be named in September. Like a true soldier, Buhari employed element of
surprise which caught his detractors unawares. At a time the phones were buzzing
with condemnation for not submitting ministerial list, his Chief of Staff, Alhaji Abba
Kyari and Senior Special Assistant on National Assembly Matters, Senator Ita Enang,
showed up at the Office of the Senate President at about 5.20pm on Wednesday to
make the list available to the legislature. The surprise package changed the tune of
discourse in the media and public space, especially on the internet. The Senate had
risen from plenary at about 1.30pm and adjourned till October 6.
Sticking to his “slow and steady” style, the President was painstaking in picking his
team and he chose the 55th Independence broadcast to explain the three-month
delay.
“Our government set out to do things methodically and properly. We received the
handing over notes from the outgoing government only four days before taking over.
Consequently, the Joda Transition Committee submitted its report on the
reorganisation of the Federal Government structure after studying the handover
notes. It would have been haphazard to announce ministers when the government
had not finalised the number of ministries to optimally carry the burden of
governance,” the President said in his nationwide address yesterday.
What Buhari did not tell Nigerians was that the delay helped him to conserve
N845.558 million accruable to 42 ministers. The figure excludes the salaries and
allowances for three ministerial aides, escort drivers and police orderlies.
The President has saved N79, 578, 709.56 as salaries for would-be 42 ministers
between May 29 and September 30 and N765, 979, 200 savings (at about N18,
237,600 for each minister) for accommodation, furniture and vehicle loans.
According to a document obtained from the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and
Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), the monthly salary of a minister is about N631,577.60
including: basic salary (N168,866:66); vehicle fuelling and maintenance (N126,650);
personal assistant (N42,216.66); domestic staff (N126,650); entertainment
(N75,990); utilities (N50,660); monitoring (N33,773.33) and newspapers/periodicals
(N25,330).
Besides, a minister entitled to about N18, 237,600 covering the following
allowances: accommodation (N4, 052,800); furniture (N6,079,200) and vehicle loan
(N8,105,600) on assumption of office.
The politics of the ministerial nomination
Although the President on Wednesday submitted a list of 21 ministerial nominees as
the first set of names (out of a minimum of 36 and maximum of 42) for screening
and approval, Nigerians are eager to know the mindset of the President and the
parameter he used in picking those on the list. Investigations showed that five
factors determined the nomination of ministers by the President. These are: strict
adherence to principle of non-interference in choosing his cabinet; integrity or
pedigree; selfless service; old acquaintances and less exposure to political influence.
For the first time, ex-Presidents/Heads of State, governors, ex-governors, members
of the National Assembly, political god-fathers and even the leaders of the ruling
All Progressives Congress (APC), had less input into the ministerial nominees. It was
learnt that Buhari received a heap of recommendations but his usual response, laced
with infectious smile to defuse tension, was “noted, alright’ amidst intermittent
nodding. Most of the lobbyists went away with satisfaction that their candidates will
make it but the more the lobbying, the less the chance of such candidates.
A highly-placed source in the presidency said: “Buhari was his own man in choosing
his cabinet although he took certain factors into consideration. Those who came to
advise him assisted in providing direction or guiding his mind. At a point, the APC
leadership could not give exact situation of things.
“He has done away with appointments based on favouritism, god-fatherism and
egoism.
“Apart from merit, Buhari gave ministerial slots to those who have the ability, those
who can deliver and those he had trusted over the years including those who worked
with him when he held the forte as chairman of the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) and
those in the trenches with him in the defunct All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) and
the Congress for Progressives Change (CPC). He has rewarded selflessness,
perseverance and loyalty.”
Untold story of how 21 Nigerians made first list.
Alhaji Lai Mohammed is the ebullient media face of the struggle for change that
brought President Muhammadu Buhari to power. A research-based media manager,
Mohammed started as a lone ranger in leading the opposition’s campaign against
the PDP before others joined the fray. He brought a new dictum that “a tree can
make the difference.” A lawyer by training, but a born-journalist by nature, the history
of the defeat of PDP is incomplete without mentioning the Mohammed’s name. He
was a thorn in PDP’s flesh, especially when Jonathan was President. Besides
keeping the ruling party on its toes, he constantly drew out the the PDP media team
with his constructive criticisms. He was harassed, intimidated and detained by
security agencies. A product of the famous Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, the
inclusion of this Oro-born publicist of the APC in Buhari’s cabinet might just be the
icing on the cake. His inclusion on the list is also a manifestation of Buhari’s
readiness for business and a sign that hard work pays. There is no doubt that
Mohammed will bring his experience to bear in a higher office and add value to the
Buhari administration.
Arguably the conscience of the party, Chief Audu Ogbeh’s nomination is acceptable
to most party leaders. He does not suffer fool at all and his ability to call a spade a
spade brought earned him the nomination on a platter of gold. A walking
encyclopedia, Ogbeh has spent his political career fighting for the oppressed and
warning the political class against the danger of unemployment even when he was in
the conservative National Party of Nigeria (NPN) in the Second Republic. Buhari
needs somebody in the mould of Ogbeh to drum the truth into his ears most of the
times and the former Minister of Communication in the Second Republic has an
overdose of wisdom.
His missionary journey into opposition politics began in 2004 when, as a sitting
National Chairman of of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), he wrote a stinking
letter to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo to alert the former leader that Nigeria was
drifting into abyss. Though arrested and detained by the Buhari-Idiagbon military
junta in 1984, destiny has brought Ogbeh and Buhari together to re-fix the nation.
A man who lives by what he preaches, Ogbeh’s natural habitat is agriculture. It won’t
be a surprise if he is asked to man this portfolio. He is returning to the Federal
Executive Council (FEC) after 32 years.
Notwithstanding the political mudslinging preempting his nomination, the inclusion of
ex-Governor Babatunde Fashola brings a rare credibility to Buhari’s choice of
ministers. Throughout the campaign by the All Progressives Congress (APC),
Fashola’s sterling performance was a major selling point for the Buhari candidature
against the inept PDP administration. Perceived political disagreements
nothwithstanding, Fashola remains the choice of his political leader, Asiwaju Bola
Tinubu any time. When intrigues were almost overshadowing Fashola’s nomination,
Tinubu came out to clear the air to declare that the ex-governor is his son in whom
he is well-pleased. Tinubu shocked Fashola’s predators in Lagos when he said:
“Born of this motley stew is the recent gossip mongering that I have willfully
instigated false and negative reports against former Governor Fashola to thwart him
from being appointed to a major post in the Buhari administration.
“I want to declare clearly and categorically that these rancid attacks do not come
from me nor do I endorse them. An attack against the performance of Governor
Fashola is indirectly an attack against me and the edifice of achievements we have
constructed in leading Lagos State.”
Tinubu’s voice drowned Fashola’s traducers and set the stage for Buhari’s final
decision on Fashola. Either way, Tinubu takes credit for this good choice.
Mrs . Kemi Adeosun is the immediate past Finance Commissioner in Ogun State.
The ministerial nominee from the Gateway State is twice lucky as her name is
among the 16 nominees forwarded to the State House of Assembly for screening by
Governor Ibikunle Amosun. She has the choice of choosing between returning to the
Ogun State cabinet or moving up to join the FEC. Unknown to many, her ministerial
appointment came after President Muhammadu Buhari rejected Chief Bode
Mustapha, a former senator, who was the anointed choice of ex-President Olusegun
Obasanjo. It was learnt that Chief Obasanjo met with Buhari twice to market his loyal
candidate, who was sacked as national auditor of the PDP because of Obasanjo.
But, the President simply told the former Head of State: “If you bring a younger
element, I will prefer this.” A worried Obasanjo later left the issue to Governor
Ibikunle Amosun to resolve after due consultations by both leaders. The one-time
commissioner is a financial expert, who has helped in the reflation of the Ogun State
economy.
Dr. Osagie Ehanire appears to be a favoured candidate of a former Minister of
Defence, Lt. Gen. T.Y. Danjuma. Despite the fact that he is a Bini, he is rated as a
close relation of Danjuma’s jewel Senator Daisy Danjuma. The appointment of
Ehanire, a member of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of Danjuma Foundation, will add
value to Buhari’s cabinet. An outstanding consultant surgeon, Ehanire is a specialist
in Anesthesiology, General Surgery and orthopedic Trauma Surgery. Being a major
backer of Buhari against his abandoned candidate, ex-President Goodluck Jonathan,
the former Defence Minister has the ears of the President because of his vision,
truthfulness, contentment, and heart of gold. Neither Danjuma nor his ministerial boy
will be a liability to Buhari.
Save for his on-going probe by the PDP government in Rivers State and media
assaults by Governor Nyesom Wike, the nomination of ex-Governor Rotimi Amaechi
for a ministerial position was taken for granted. Amaechi bore a suicidal risk to
dump the PDP to pitch tent with Buhari even before the APC stakeholders zeroed in
on the General as their presidential standard bearer. He laid down his life to ensure
that Buhari emerged the APC candidate. In the heat of the campaign, a former
governor told Amaechi: “I would have died by now if I take this kind of risk you have
heaped on yourself.” Beyond being a die-hard loyalist of Buhari, the qualities which
earned Amaechi the ministerial nomination are his performance records, vision and
energy to render untainted service and ability to speak truth to the throne. He, will no
doubt, be one minister who can tell Buhari the truth whenever he errs. His greatest
asset is his love for quality projects which can stand the test of time. He has no
taste for wealth acquisition, a personage which makes him fit into Buhari’s agenda.
Another ministerial nomination foretold is that of Chief Ogbonnaya Onu because of
his reserved nature, academic excellence and his cosmopolitan pedigree. Onu has a
string of excellent records that cannot be wished away by any puritan like Buhari. He
obtained distinction in Physics and Chemistry at the Higher School Certificate
examination at the College of Immaculate Conception (CIC), Enugu, graduating as
the best overall student. In 1976, he graduated with a First Class honours degree in
Chemical Engineering at the University of Lagos.
Besides, Onu’s moral credentials make him a natural choice for a cabinet position.
As an Igbo leader, he has been a consistent lone voice in the southeastern regions’
political wilderness. When the Southeast rose against Buhari, Onu withstood insults
and barrage of attacks on his person for supporting a northerner. He had been a
faithful follower of Buhari right from their sojourn in the defunct All Nigeria Peoples
Party (ANPP).
One of the eggheads and a quintessential democrat on the nomination list is ex-
Governor Kayode Fayemi. He earned Buhari’s respect with his speech on the day he
“purportedly lost” the Ekiti State governorship election to Mr. Ayo Fayose. Fayemi
set a template for the outcome of the 2015 general election and ex-President
Goodluck Jonathan wasted no time in emulating Fayemi’s model in conceding
defeat to Buhari.
The international profile of Fayemi and the ex-governor’s hitch-free conduct of the
APC National Convention/ Presidential Primaries informed Buhari’s decision to
nominate the academic. A hero of the struggle for the return of democracy in 1999,
Fayemi has age, vision, honesty, integrity and selfless service to his advantage. For
the Ekiti State ministerial slot, Buhari was confronted with four good choices
namely: Fayemi, ex-Governor Segun Oni, Mr. Dele Alake (a one-tme Commissioner
for Information & Strategy in Lagos State) and human rights activist Mr. Femi Falana,
(SAN). A source in the presidency said: “To settle for Fayemi, a lot of horse-trading
was involved because all the candidates from Ekiti State have impeccable
characters. APC leaders were consulted at various levels and concessions were
made.
“For instance, ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo was interested in Oni who was
humiliated from the PDP because of him. Some APC leaders were also interested in
other candidates. “At a point, ex-Governor Oni untied the knotty knot when he said
he was not interested in ministerial appointment. From the ministerial deal, Oni, who
is increasingly becoming popular in Ekiti State because of the governance standard
he set, might be APC’s likely governorship candidate in 2018.” The deal could not be
independently confirmed on Thursday.
General Abdulrahman Dambazzau served as Chief of Army Staff (COAS) between
2008 and 2010 Dambazzau’s path crossed Buhari’s when he was aide-de-camp to
a former COAS in 1979. Not minding the age and career differences, Dambazau and
Buhari have bonded in the last 36 years. It was therefore not surprising that he
coordinated security for the APC Presidential Campaign Council during the
electioneering from January to March this year. He played a similar role as the
Chairman of the Security Committee of the defunct Congress for Progressives
Change (CPC) when Buhari took a shot at the presidency in 2011. Armed with a
Ph.D in Criminology from the University of Keele in 1989, the kernel of friendship
between him and Buhari is “trust”. As a military police, Dambazau said his faith in
Buhari was unshakeable.
He said: “My relationship with Mr. President is not hinged on political appointment.
Whether he assigns me to a particular office or not, my resolve to ensure that he
succeeds remains unshakeable.”
AN ardent follower of the President, Sen. Sirika Hadi’s nomination is based on his
consistent advocacy for change in the country. He went through thick and thin with
Buhari when no the President had been written off politically. The pilot-turned
politician, he was elected a
senator under the defunct CPC in 2011. He was one of the few who encouraged
Buhari not to give up on the presidential race. In an interview on January 10, 2013,
he made it clear that Buhari will run for the presidency in 2015.
The inclusion of Abubakar Malami, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), in the
ministerial nominee list is a reward of integrity. He is one lawyer whose love for
money is secondary. He handled much Buhari’s electoral litigation brief for free
because of his belief in the President as a leader Nigeria needs. Born in Birnin Kebbi,
he was a former National Legal Adviser for the CPC. He has an endless taste for
sponsoring private citizen bills. He shares the same vision and belief with Buhari. In
an interview in 2012, Malami said: “I think that we should continue to operate
federalism as an institution but curtail the level of expenses associated with it. We
do not need a full time National Assembly since it is a very costly institution.”
Born in Gombe State, Amina Mohammed, is a Special Advisor to the United Nations
(UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon on Post-2015 Development Planning. Her
nomination is based on merit having earned a global reputation. According to the
UN, “in 2005, she was “charged with the coordination of the debt relief funds
($1billion per annum) towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs) in Nigeria. Unknown to many, she co-founded the Afri-Projects Consortium
in 1991, which handled many jobs when Buhari was in the defunct Petroleum Trust
Fund (PTF) established by the late Gen. Abacha to manage oil windfall. The search
for Mohammed came in handy because the APC in Gombe is factionalised following
disagreement over protest votes during the governorship poll which the party lost to
the PDP. The President could not have picked a nominee from any of the warring
groups without a compounding the problem. And the APC political leader in the
state, ex-Governor Danjuma Goje’s opposition to party supremacy at the Senate has
not helped the situation.
The inclusion of the indefatigable Aisha Alhassan while still awaiting the outcome of
her petition at the Taraba State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal drew
some curiosity.
Analysts said it is either the APC has lost hope in the petition after it won Taraba
Central senatorial seat at the tribunal on Wednesday or a deal is in the offing. It was
gathered that the presidency might not want Alhassan to pursue her petition further
because Governor Darius Ishaku of the PDP is a godson of Gen. T.Y. Danjuma,
whom Buhari respects a lot.
Another source said: “The nomination of Alhassan might have been in anticipation of
a loss at the tribunal.” A veteran of many legal battles, Alhassan is a Mumuye and a
lawyer by training but her courage in the face of intimidation was said to have
endeared her to Buhari too. Said a source: “The President believes she is going to
be a source of inspiration to many women in the country. In January 2011 during
PDP primaries, she defeated former Ambassador Anthony Manzo to win a senatorial
ticket. She treads courageously in the midst of men.
“Even when she was unjustly sacked as the Chief Registrar of the High Court of
Justice of the Federal Capital Territory, she fought her way through and she was
justifiably reinstated many years after.”
Another meritorious hand in the list is Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, the Group
Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). A former
Vice President of Exxon Mobil in Africa, Buhari appointed Kachikwu the NNPC chief
because he was impressed by his glowing credentials as the most senior black
African in any multi-national oil firm in the world with 30 years experience.
Apart from being a First Class graduate, Kachikwu also obtained a Ph.D in Law
which enabled him to rise to the position of a Company Secretary in Exxon Mobil.
But it was not easy for the President to convince Kachikwu to accept the job
because he was afraid that he might be messed up like other Nigerians who had
come home to serve.
In their negotiation, President Buhari repeatedly said: “I won’t interfere with your
work. I will give you a free hand because I want to reform this oil sector once and
for all”.
He is expected to be the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources. But there were
concerns last night that Kachikwu might be eased out of NNPC in the next few
months.
Senator Udo Udoma’s nomination came from three parameters – his rich heritage of
integrity, his modesty and fair-mindedness in corporate politics. A PDP member and
a Senator between 1999 and 2007, he was the immediate past Board Chairman of
the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). While in SEC, Udoma was said to
always excuse himself from meetings where issues directly related to companies
where he had stakes. His corporate attitude fetched him the nomination.
The Niger State’s nominee, Ahmed Musa Ibeto, was until May 29, 2015 the Deputy
Governor of the state. At a point, he fell out of favour with ex-Governor Babangida
Aliyu, who persecuted him for defecting to the APC. Ibeto’s sacrifice of his
governorship ambition contributed to the victory of APC in the state. His heroic
struggle earned him this slot.
A former member of the House of Representatives between 2003 and 2007, he
won the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Meritorious Award as a Youth corps
member.
Popularly called “Owan”(the moon), Dr. Chris Nwabueze Ngige, became a global
citizen in 2003 when his political sponsors masterminded abduction as a sitting
governor. He resisted political godfathers and left worthy legacies in Anambra State.
His achievements have remained points of reference. He is averse to injustice in any
form and at the point of death, he will say the truth. A 1979 medical graduate,
Ngige retired as a deputy director in the Federal Ministry of Health. He is one of the
few Igbo leaders who championed the election of President
Muhammadu Buhari. His virtues and loyalty and rich political resume as a senator,
informed his nomination by the President. He will bring a torch of the “moon” to
Buhari’s cabinet.
Born in 1964, Barrister Solomon Dalung was a former Personal Assistant to the late
Chief Solomon Lar, when he served as governor of Plateau. A former chairman of
Langtang South Local Government Area, Dalung is popularly known among his people
as ‘Igbarman Otarok’ (meaning the ‘thunder of Tarok nation ’). His knowledge of
grassroots politics must have led to his appointment.
Adebayo Shittu was Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in Oyo State.
His preference for a Spartan life endeared him to the President. Imbued with integrity
and uncommon commitment to anti-corruption crusade, he seems to be the poorest
of the lot. A close associate of Buhari in the CPC, Shittu runs ascetic lifestyle. His
commitment to Islam is inspiring. It was learnt that these qualities that made Buhari
to identify and appreciate his leadership qualities for a ministerial slot. A former
governorship candidate of the CPC in the state, Shittu is from Oke-Ogun part of the
state where itinerant herdsmen often clash with local farmers.
Who comes in the next batch?
Nigerians are not done with Buhari yet. They are expecting him to complete the list
of ministerial nominees in line with the provision of the 1999 Constitution.
Section147 (1-3). The section stipulates that “There shall be such offices of
ministers of the government of the federation as may be established by the
resident. Any appointment to the office of minister of the government of the
federation shall, if the nomination of any person to such office is confirmed by the
Senate, be made by the President.
“Any appointment under subsection (2) of this section by the President shall be in
conformity with the provisions of section 14(3) of this Constitution. Provided that in
giving effect to the provisions aforesaid, the President shall appoint at least one
minister from each state, who shall be an indigene of such state.”
As the nation awaits the next batch of ministers, it is hoped that it will not take
another three months. For now, it is arms akimbo.
SaharaReporters
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