President Muhammadu Buhari, who has completed one month in office, had earlier been criticised by some Nigerians, whom accused him of running the affairs of governance alone by refusing to make key appointment into his cabinet.
The Punch; Buhari may not name ministers until Sept, The Guardian; Why President Buhari’s cabinet will be delayed beyond July, ThisDay; Seeking to reform,
No minister for Buhari for two months, The Nation; Senate crisis: Oyegun’s fate shaky as APC caucus meets as well as Daily Sun; North moves to take over NNPC, makes the front pages of the national dailies for Monday, June 29, 2015.THE PUNCH reports that a source very close to the President on Sunday, June 28, revealed that the President will announce his ministers by the end of August or early September. The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Buhari would not form any cabinet until the rot left behind by the past administration is cleared. He said Buhari is unwilling to build on the rotten foundation he inherited from the Peoples Democratic Party government because almost everything “is in a state of decay.” He said there is no way his government can achieve anything long-lasting without first building a new foundation. He noted that cleaning up the PDP rot was not a month’s job. He said those criticising the President for lack of cabinet were politicians looking for ministerial positions.
The source further revealed that Buhari was also taking his time to know the ministries that would survive government’s planned trimming and the desire to cut cost of governance. He also pointed out that it would be impossible to appoint ministers to portfolios without knowing which exist and the ones to abolish. He denied reports that lack of cabinet had grounded the government, saying 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 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.” When Mallam Garba Shehu was contacted on the credibility of this source, he said the above information is “not far from the truth.”
THE GUARDIAN reports that at the weekend, indications emerged that President Muhammadu Buhari is not in a haste to bow to pressure in naming members of his cabinet. Speaking in Abuja, in an off-the-record chat with a set of reporters, a source close to Buhari, said he is not in a haste to build on the “rotten foundation,” he inherited from the past administration.
The President over the past week has come under criticism from some Nigerians, that more than three months after his election and a month since his inauguration is yet to appoint members of his cabinet except his media and protocol officers. Even the 15 special advisers the last Senate approved for the President are yet to be unveiled to Nigerians.
The source said the current crisis in the National Assembly would be a further delay in naming members of the cabinet. His said: “Look at how they are fighting among themselves .The Senate has now adjourned till July 21. That means there would be no one to scrutinise or approve any ministerial list until the end of July.”
When Femi Adesina and Garba Shehu, were contacted on the issue, they said: “The source was not far from the reality check at the moment.”
Meanwhile, an Abuja-based newspaper Daily Trust on Sunday, June 28, in a page three comment entitled, “PMB, Make key appointments now”, urged Buhari to name his ministers as it is risky to allow the civil service to function without political leadership and direction. The newspaper said the President “should not look for saints because there are none to be found anywhere.”
THISDAY reports that as the call for President Muhammadu Buhari to unfold an economic blueprint as well as appoint ministers grow louder; indications have also emerged that the President will not make any appointment for at least two months. A source close to the president on Sunday, June 28, in Abuja, told newsmen that Buhari is not in haste to appoint ministers to continue the culture of “chopping” and “corruption” that was the crux of the previous administration.
The source said the rationalisation, restructuring and reform of the public sector could save the current administration under Buhari as much as N2 trillion as personnel and overhead costs, which have risen between 2012 and 2015 form the bulk of public sector expenditure as evidenced in past budgets of the federal government.
However, in the Oronsaye report and the summary exclusively obtained by Thisday, the committee identified 541 parastatals, commissions and agencies in all sectors of the public sector at the commencement of its exercise in 2011, of which 427 were recommended for reduction. A breakdown of existing parastatals, commissions and agencies in 2011 showed that Education/Training had 236 parastatals, Social Development – 104, Governance – 50, Economy – 47, Research – 41, Science, Technology and Infrastructure – 26, Professional Bodies – 26, and Transport – 11. The other 541 parastatals, commissions and agencies, 263 were identified as core parastatals; 50 agencies had no laws to back their establishment; three agencies were being wound up; and 49 agencies had overlapping functions with other agencies.
Though a source close to Buhari, has attributed the further delay in appointing ministers on the crisis currently rocking the National Assembly, the parties involved in the internal feud seems not to be sheathing their swords. THE NATION reports that the All Progressives Congress National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun’s political future is shaky as the party’s national caucus meet today. Some of the party chieftains call for Odigie-Oyegun’s removal for perceived failure to nip in the bud the crisis rocking the National Assembly which has shaken the party so much.
It was reported that most of the APC governors, some members of the NWC and party elders are unhappy that Odigie-Oyegun allowed the “crisis to fester.” They alleged that his slow pace attitude encouraged Senate President Bukola Saraki and House Speaker Yakubu Dogara to negotiate with Peoples Democratic Party members. The delay in sending the list of APC candidates for principal offices in the Senate and the House of Representatives also fuelled the anger against him even as party leaders are said to be divided on whether to retain or dump him.
A source, who spoke to newsmen in Abuja, on Sunday, June 28, said the party and the current crisis in the National Assembly has caused anxiety in APC with some members expressing fears that, if the chairman remained in office, it might collapse the party. He cited two instances where the chairman failed to be decisive. He said the chairman was confused on the choice of principal officers in the National Assembly and that he was forced to hold the mock elections that elected Senator Ahmed Lawan and Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila as the party’s choices for Senate President and House Speaker.
The source further hinted that it also took the intervention of some APC governors before Odigie-Oyegun could send the list of the party nominees for some principal posts to Saraki and Dogara.
Meanwhile, DAILY SUN has reported that less than 48 hours after President Muhammadu Buhari dissolved the board of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, intense lobby has commenced for the positions of the Group Managing Director and those of Executive Directors. Eight new structures are said to have being proposed for the corporation and it is already awaiting the approval of the President. It was gathered that a drastic change that may lead to the sack of other Managing Directors and General Managers is expected at the NNPC.
Daily Sun further learnt that as part of efforts to ensure a smooth take-off of the proposed new structures, some highly placed northerners from the core northern states are already planning to fill existing vacancies, while other qualified officers from the North-Central, South-West, South-East and South-South geo-political zones, would be “pushed to obscure departments and positions.” It was also gathered that three names from the North-West and North-East zones are believed to have been considered for the position of GMD. The three persons are: Malam Isa Inuwa from Kano State, Dr. M. K. Baru, Bauchi and Alhaji Sa’adi Farouk, Sokoto State.
However, a document obtained by Daily Sun showed that other positions to be headed by Northerners comprised Group Executive Director, Capital, NLNG, NGC, NIDAS; MD NETCO; MD NNPC Shipping; MD Retail and MD Pension. When phone calls were made to Mr. Ohi Alegbe, to get reaction from him, he sent an SMS saying; he was in a meeting, but when an SMS was sent to him demanding his response on the report, he declined to reply.
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