In a country gripped by ethno-political balancing, President
Muhammadu Buhari yesterday moved to narrow the fault
line that divides the North and the South by assigning most
of the key portfolios of his administration to Nigerians of
southern origin.
The president also made good his promise to rationalise the
public sector by slashing the number of ministries from 29
to 24.
Since he assumed office on May 29, Buhari has been widely
criticised for appointing mostly northerners to non-
ministerial but key positions in government.
Prior to the inauguration of the cabinet, Nigerians of
northern extraction accounted for almost 80 per cent of the
president’s appointments, relative to 20 per cent allotted to
southerners.
But yesterday, any concerns that may have arisen over
Buhari’s choice of government functionaries to drive home
his plan for socio-economic prosperity was laid to rest with
the appointment of Babatude Fashola (Lagos) as Minister of
Power, Works and Housing; Adebayo Shittu (Oyo) as Minister
of Communications; Isaac Adewole Folorunsho (Osun) as
Minister of Health; Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti) as Minister of Solid
Minerals; and Kemi Adeosun (Ogun) as Minister of Finance,
representing the South-west geopolitical zone.
From the South-south zone, those with key appointments
included Udoma Udo Udoma (Akwa Ibom) as Minister of
Budget and National Planning; Chibuike Amaechi (Rivers) as
Minister of Transportation; Ibe Kachikwu (Delta) as Minister
of State for Petroleum Resources; and Usani Usani Uguru
(Cross River) as Minister of Niger Delta.
The South-east produced Okey Enelamah (Abia) as Minister
of Trade, Industry and Investment, and Geoffrey Oyeama
(Enugu) as Minister of Foreign Affairs.
However, a closer review showed that the North still got
other key positions such as Audu Ogbeh from Benue State in
North-central Nigeria, who will man the crucial Agriculture
and Rural Development Ministry, Ms. Amina Mohammed
from Gombe in the North-east will superintend over the
Environment Ministry, while Alhaji Adamu Adamu from
Bauchi in the North-east with oversee the Education
Ministry.
More significantly, the areas of law enforcement and
security was left entirely in the hands of Abdulrahman
Dambazzau (Minister of Interior) from Kano in the North-
west, Mosur Dan-Ali (Minister of Defence) from Zamfara in
the North-west, and Abubakar Malami (Attorney-General of
the Federation and Minister of Justice) from Kebbi, also in
the North-west.
Buhari kept to his word by keeping the portfolio of Minister
of Petroleum Resources, where he will be assisted by
Kachikwu who still doubles as the Group Managing Director
of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
Other ministers who were assigned their portfolios after
their swearing-in yesterday included: Abubakar Bawa Bwari
(Niger) who was made Minister of State for Solid Minerals;
Mohammed Musa Bello (Adamawa) - Minister of the Federal
Capital Territory (FCT); Senator Aisha Alhassan (Taraba) -
Minister of Women Affairs; Lai Mohammed (Kwara) -
Minister of Information and Culture; Chief Ogbonaya Onu
(Ebonyi) - Minister of Science and Technology; and Mrs.
Zainab Shamshuna Ahmed (Kaduna) - Minister of State,
Budget and National Planning.
Others were: Prof. Anthony Gozie Anwuka (Imo) who was
announced Minister of State for Education; Mr. James Ocholi
(Kogi) - Minister of State for Labour and Employment;
Senator Chris Ngige (Anambra) – Minister of Labour and
Employment; Senator Heineken Lokpobiri (Bayelsa) –
Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development;
Mustapha Shehuri (Borno) – Minister of State for Power;
Prof. Claudius Daramola (Ondo) – Minister of State for Niger
Delta; Khadija Bukar Abba Ibrahim (Yobe) – Minister of State
for Foreign Affairs; Ms. Aisha Abubakar (Sokoto) – Minister of
State for Trade, Industry and Investment; Ibrahim Usman
Jibril (Nasarawa) – Minister of State for Environment; and
Osagie Ehanire (Edo) – Minister of State for Health.
Others that were assigned portfolios were: Solomon Dalong
(Plateau) – Minister of Youth and Sports; Suleiman Adamu
(Jigawa) – Minister of Water Resources; and Senator Hadi
Sirika (Katsina) – Minister of State for Aviation.
Speaking after the swearing-in of the cabinet, the president
asked the ministers to justify the confidence he and the
nation had reposed in them.
The president said he consulted widely before selecting his
ministers and allocating portfolios to them, adding that he
and his deputy, Yemi Osinbajo, had been mindful of the
need to constitute a cabinet that would best deliver their
expectations of a better country than what they inherited.
He said: “We want to work towards a prosperous nation
respected for the right reasons, and whose citizens can hold
up their heads anywhere in the world.”
The president also expressed optimism that bringing the
current batch of ministers to serve the country was a step in
the right direction, describing it as "a timely move towards
realising their goals for our country”.
The president said since he assumed office in May, he had
been mindful of the need to ensure that the appointment of
new ministers translated into putting round pegs in round
holes while showing sensitivity to the nation’s diversity.
“I have also been conscious of the need not to repeat such
mistakes of the past where the right people were allocated
the wrong portfolios, which translated into their performing
poorly to our collective detriment despite their obvious
capabilities.
“Also, I have responded to the counsel to consult as widely
as possible, given the need to build a stable and all-inclusive
government by reaching across our various ethnic and
political divides,” he said.
He noted that with the inauguration of ministers, his
government would continue more decisively to implement
its policies in respect of the economy and in other areas.
“While working hard to maximise revenue from oil in the
face of a sharp decline in the price for the commodity, we
are determined to diversify the economy in agriculture to
enhance employment and explore solid minerals as a major
revenue earner,” he added.
According to him, the primary aim is to achieve self-
sufficiency in the production of staple foods such as rice and
wheat and to become a major consumer and exporter of
both items as well as solid minerals.
He promised that his government would pursue policies that
would generate massive employment for millions of youths,
and reiterated his determination and focus to ensure
improved security for the country and its citizens, and
without letting up in the government’s fight against
corruption.
“Our commitment to defeat Boko Haram and all the threats
it constitutes remains as strong as ever. So is our resolve to
root out vices such as kidnapping and neutralise the various
forms of criminalities that threaten the social peace of
Nigerians,” he said and expressed the view that in the moral
sphere, trust was slowly but steadily being re-established
between the government and the people.
“Now, when the government speaks, the people listen; and
when the people’s expectations are not met, they appreciate
that it is not for lack of commitment or trying on the part of
government. In effect, government business is now being
conducted with transparency and cynicism is waning as a
result,” he added.
Buhari said the adoption of the Treasury Single Account
(TSA) had resulted in the blocking of leakages in the public
sector, making more funds available for the business of
governance and ensuring the welfare of citizens.
He added that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had also
assisted more than 30 states with concessionary loans to
offset the salary arrears of their workers.
“On the monetary side, the CBN has also implemented
country-specific and innovative policies that have helped to
stabilise the exchange rate and conserve our reserves.”
He urged the ministers to proceed to work speedily and do
their utmost to justify the confidence placed in them not
only by their conduct but also by their performance in their
various positions, adding that the economy is poised for
sustained job creation, poverty reduction and inclusive
growth.
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