FOR those that are eager to hear President Muhammadu Buhari name his cabinet members, they will have to tarry awhile because the President’s cabinet members may not be announced untill the end of August or early September.
A source very close to the President confided in The PUNCH on Sunday that
Buhari would not form any cabinet until the “rot left behind by the past
administration” is cleared.
“Mr. President is reluctant to build on a rotten foundation he inherited from the
Peoples Democratic Party administration. You cannot even begin to imagine the
situation we have met on the ground; almost everything is in a state of decay.
“There is absolutely no way the new government can hope to achieve anything
long-lasting without first building a new foundation,” the source said.
The source added that clearing the PDP rot was not a month’s job and said
those that had been heckling the President over lack of cabinet were politicians
looking for jobs.
“They have tried doing it other ways and those haven’t worked. They only want
their cronies appointed to ministerial posts anyhow and they are fuelling the
agitation,” the source said.
He also said Buhari was taking his time to know the ministries that would
survive government’s planned pruning and the desire to cut cost of governance.
The source likened President Buhari’s plan of action to that of a doctor, who
first has to break a poorly set bone afresh, before resetting it to allow for
smooth and proper growth.
Over the past week, Buhari has come under criticism because he had yet to
appoint his cabinet members, despite having more than three months since his
election, including a month since his inauguration.
The President was sworn in on May 29, exactly one month ago today.
Responding to the criticism, the source pointed out that it would be impossible
to appoint ministers to portfolios without first knowing which portfolios exist
and which will be abolished.
He said, “The President plans to cut down the number of ministries and
parastatals. He wants to cut down the cost of running government. He wants to
make sure that all the loopholes that enable corruption to thrive are blocked. All
these are procedures that require time and careful planning. You cannot do it in
a rush.
“Remember that he has to make sure that all this is done without any job
losses or mass retrenchments. All this is not a day’s or one-month job.”
He added that Buhari could not have realistically commenced the process of
forming a cabinet without first receiving the full report of the transition
committee and ascertaining exactly the situation his government faced.
The source also denied news reports which stated that President Buhari’s lack
of cabinet appointments had grounded the government, insisting that civil
servants had been supervising the day-to-day running of ministries and that
Permanent Secretaries of the various ministries all have full access to the
President.
The source concluded by referring to the current crisis in the National Assembly
as one more reason why forming a cabinet would be impossible until further
notice.
“Look at how they are fighting among themselves. The Senate has now
adjourned till July 21. That means no one to scrutinise or approve any
ministerial list until the end of July,” he submitted.
But when reminded that the Senate had agreed to reconvene to consider the
President’s ministerial nominees as soon as such list was ready, the source
asked our correspondent to await the President’s intervention in the crisis
between the party and the National Assembly. “The President wants to walk his
talk on stable politics and being a leader for all. He has a plan for the National
Assembly,” he said.
When contacted on Sunday, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on
Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, said the information at the disposal
of The PUNCH was “not far from the truth.”
“This narrative is the nearest to the truth than all others that are being peddled
around. It is not far from the truth,” Shehu said.
Meanwhile, our correspondents learnt in Abuja on Sunday that Buhari would
adopt the recommendation of the Ahmed Joda-led transition committee of the
All Progressives Congress to prune down the number of ministries to 19.
The PUNCH learnt that the President would appoint 19 senior ministers and 17
ministers of state as recommended by the Joda committee.
It was also learnt that besides adopting the recommendation, the administration
would place emphasis on the appointment of technocrats to man some
ministries, including education, finance, works, housing and environment
The 18-man committee inaugurated on April 27, 2015 to prepare the ground for
Buhari’s inauguration on May 29, 2015 submitted its report on June 12.
There were 28 ministries and corresponding number of ministers manning them
under the immediate past administration of former President Goodluck
Jonathan.
The Jonathan administration also appointed 14 ministers of state.
A reliable source, who is familiar with the activities of the new administration,
said the President, no doubt, had accepted and had been working on the
recommendations of the Joda committee on the number of ministries to remain.
The source, who did not want to be named as he was not authorised to speak
on the issue, said though the President had not made his proposed ministerial
list open, the President had not hidden it from top presidency officers, including
the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, that “the President will be guided by the
Joda committee’s report.”
The source said, “I can confirm that the President is going to work with the
recommendation of the Joda committee, which means he will operate only 19
ministries to be manned by 19 ministers.
“There will also be 17 ministers of state so that the President will not run afoul
of constitutional requirement, which expects him to appoint ministers from all
the 36 states of the federation.
“Top officers in the Presidency, including Vice President Osinbajo, are aware that
President Buhari is going to adopt the 19-ministry recommendation.”
The Joda-led committee had recommended that the new Buhari administration
should operate only 19 ministries in the spirit of cutting down the cost of
governance.
The committee recommended that the President should appoint only 19 senior
ministers and 17 ministers of state to fulfil the constitutional requirement that
the ministers constituting the Federal Executive Council must be drawn from
the 36 states of the federation.
The Joda committee recommended 19 ministries, some of which would be
products of merging of some of the existing ministries.
Those to be retained in their present form are just nine- Trade, Industry and
investment; Education; Defence; Federal Capital Territory; Labour and
Employment; Finance; Justice; Foreign Affairs; and Budget and National
Planning.
Buhari would not form any cabinet until the “rot left behind by the past
administration” is cleared.
“Mr. President is reluctant to build on a rotten foundation he inherited from the
Peoples Democratic Party administration. You cannot even begin to imagine the
situation we have met on the ground; almost everything is in a state of decay.
“There is absolutely no way the new government can hope to achieve anything
long-lasting without first building a new foundation,” the source said.
The source added that clearing the PDP rot was not a month’s job and said
those that had been heckling the President over lack of cabinet were politicians
looking for jobs.
“They have tried doing it other ways and those haven’t worked. They only want
their cronies appointed to ministerial posts anyhow and they are fuelling the
agitation,” the source said.
He also said Buhari was taking his time to know the ministries that would
survive government’s planned pruning and the desire to cut cost of governance.
The source likened President Buhari’s plan of action to that of a doctor, who
first has to break a poorly set bone afresh, before resetting it to allow for
smooth and proper growth.
Over the past week, Buhari has come under criticism because he had yet to
appoint his cabinet members, despite having more than three months since his
election, including a month since his inauguration.
The President was sworn in on May 29, exactly one month ago today.
Responding to the criticism, the source pointed out that it would be impossible
to appoint ministers to portfolios without first knowing which portfolios exist
and which will be abolished.
He said, “The President plans to cut down the number of ministries and
parastatals. He wants to cut down the cost of running government. He wants to
make sure that all the loopholes that enable corruption to thrive are blocked. All
these are procedures that require time and careful planning. You cannot do it in
a rush.
“Remember that he has to make sure that all this is done without any job
losses or mass retrenchments. All this is not a day’s or one-month job.”
He added that Buhari could not have realistically commenced the process of
forming a cabinet without first receiving the full report of the transition
committee and ascertaining exactly the situation his government faced.
The source also denied news reports which stated that President Buhari’s lack
of cabinet appointments had grounded the government, insisting that civil
servants had been supervising the day-to-day running of ministries and that
Permanent Secretaries of the various ministries all have full access to the
President.
The source concluded by referring to the current crisis in the National Assembly
as one more reason why forming a cabinet would be impossible until further
notice.
“Look at how they are fighting among themselves. The Senate has now
adjourned till July 21. That means no one to scrutinise or approve any
ministerial list until the end of July,” he submitted.
But when reminded that the Senate had agreed to reconvene to consider the
President’s ministerial nominees as soon as such list was ready, the source
asked our correspondent to await the President’s intervention in the crisis
between the party and the National Assembly. “The President wants to walk his
talk on stable politics and being a leader for all. He has a plan for the National
Assembly,” he said.
When contacted on Sunday, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on
Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, said the information at the disposal
of The PUNCH was “not far from the truth.”
“This narrative is the nearest to the truth than all others that are being peddled
around. It is not far from the truth,” Shehu said.
Meanwhile, our correspondents learnt in Abuja on Sunday that Buhari would
adopt the recommendation of the Ahmed Joda-led transition committee of the
All Progressives Congress to prune down the number of ministries to 19.
The PUNCH learnt that the President would appoint 19 senior ministers and 17
ministers of state as recommended by the Joda committee.
It was also learnt that besides adopting the recommendation, the administration
would place emphasis on the appointment of technocrats to man some
ministries, including education, finance, works, housing and environment
The 18-man committee inaugurated on April 27, 2015 to prepare the ground for
Buhari’s inauguration on May 29, 2015 submitted its report on June 12.
There were 28 ministries and corresponding number of ministers manning them
under the immediate past administration of former President Goodluck
Jonathan.
The Jonathan administration also appointed 14 ministers of state.
A reliable source, who is familiar with the activities of the new administration,
said the President, no doubt, had accepted and had been working on the
recommendations of the Joda committee on the number of ministries to remain.
The source, who did not want to be named as he was not authorised to speak
on the issue, said though the President had not made his proposed ministerial
list open, the President had not hidden it from top presidency officers, including
the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, that “the President will be guided by the
Joda committee’s report.”
The source said, “I can confirm that the President is going to work with the
recommendation of the Joda committee, which means he will operate only 19
ministries to be manned by 19 ministers.
“There will also be 17 ministers of state so that the President will not run afoul
of constitutional requirement, which expects him to appoint ministers from all
the 36 states of the federation.
“Top officers in the Presidency, including Vice President Osinbajo, are aware that
President Buhari is going to adopt the 19-ministry recommendation.”
The Joda-led committee had recommended that the new Buhari administration
should operate only 19 ministries in the spirit of cutting down the cost of
governance.
The committee recommended that the President should appoint only 19 senior
ministers and 17 ministers of state to fulfil the constitutional requirement that
the ministers constituting the Federal Executive Council must be drawn from
the 36 states of the federation.
The Joda committee recommended 19 ministries, some of which would be
products of merging of some of the existing ministries.
Those to be retained in their present form are just nine- Trade, Industry and
investment; Education; Defence; Federal Capital Territory; Labour and
Employment; Finance; Justice; Foreign Affairs; and Budget and National
Planning.
culled:ThePunch
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