*Tinubu
urges cabinet members to be creative
President Muhammadu
Buhari did not assign key portfolios to some ministers following security
reports, it was learnt yesterday. He placed priority on expertise and performance
in assigning portfolios to ministers, sources told The Nation.
The
President was also said to have disappointed some of those who lobbied for
“strategic” ministries. Ministers
may be placed under watch and anyone who gets into trouble will be
dropped, it was learnt.
All
Progressives Congress (APC) National Leader Asiwaju Bola Tinubu yesterday urged
them to be creative.
According
to sources, until the inauguration time, the list of portfolios was known to
only Buhari and members of his “kitchen cabinet”.
The
list was kept under wraps in such a tidy manner that even the Office of the
Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the President’s aides were
unaware.
Six factors,
which informed the assignment of portfolios, were security reports, less
exposure to politics, priority on expertise and performance, ongoing
investigations of some appointees and distaste for lobbying and media profiling
by some appointees ; and Buhari’s military background which sent signal to
ministers that no one is assured of any position in his cabinet.
Investigation
revealed that after the nomination and confirmation of the ministers, Buhari
still asked relevant agencies to conduct a more discreet investigation of the
would-be ministers.
The
outcome of the “surveillance” was presented to the President and his kitchen
cabinet in deciding the choice of portfolios.
A
source, who spoke in confidence last night, said: “Most of us, including the
ministers themselves, were shocked when the portfolios were announced. In fact,
some ministers were just unstable. The President and his inner cabinet kept the
list secret. They didn’t allow it to leak at all.
“If
the portfolios had been made available to any other office or desk, we would
have known. So, the President used his military background to send the first
message to the ministers that he has no favourite and they should always expect
surprises.
“From
the way the President assigned portfolios, nothing is settled on any minister.
If anybody gets into trouble, he will not spare him or her.”
The
source also spoke on security reports on the ministers as accounting for the
outlook of the portfolios.
The
source added: “There were reports that a minister had already formed a power
cult around himself, such that those expected to serve under him had been
paying obeisance.
“Another
minister was holding discussions with some foreign partners based on
assumption that a particular ministry had been conceded to him.
“Some
ministers were openly telling friends, associates, party leaders and even key
aides to the President that they will be in charge of some ministries.
“With
security apparatchik and communication advantage, you know the
President has access to more information than anyone else. He picked some of
these information and decided to surprise these ministers.
“
He detested that some ministers had air around themselves that some ministries
are their birthright.”
Responding
to a question, the source said: “You cannot rule out the fact that there are
some ministers who did not get what they would have thought to be commensurate
portfolios. But that is the working of the government for you.”
The
source added that security reports made the President to concede some
portfolios to a few ministers – to challenge their competence.
Ministers
with surprising portfolios following last-minute decisions by the kitchen
cabinet include Adamu Adamu(Education); Adebayo
Shittu(Communications); Usani Usani(Niger Delta Affairs); Monsur
Dan-Ali(Defence); Geoffrey Onyeama(Foreign Affairs); and Cladius
Daramola (Minister of State for Niger Delta), who was said to have been billed
for the Education ministry.
Another
source also indicated that the President applied expertise and performance
target in allotting portfolios to some ministers.
These
yardsticks were said to have accounted for the portfolios of Kemi Adeosun
(Finance), Babatunde Fashola (Power, Works and Housing), Audu Ogbeh
(Agriculture and Rural Development); Abubakar Malami (Kebbi);
Suleiman Adamu (Water Resources); Ibe Kachikwu (Petroleum Resources); Udo Udoma
(Budget and National Planning); Prof. Isaac Adewole (Health); Amina
Mohammed (Environment); Dr.Osagie Ehanire (Health); Lai Mohammed
(Information); and Rotimi Amaechi, Hadi Sirika (Transportation)
The
second source added: “The thinking of the President is that most of
those in this group, with the exception of Amaechi, have no political
ambition in the nearest future. They are mostly experts who can deliver on the
key areas of governance which can make the change he promised to the nation a
reality. What Amaechi has going for him is vitality or energy to serve and
knack for quality projects.
“With
these experts manning vital ministries, there will be less pressure on them
from politicians and hangers on. Their assignments alone will preoccupy them.
“So,
their portfolios were based on a performance driven target.
A
government source also claimed that some of the ongoing investigations of some
ministers and the attitude of some and lobbying by some contributed to the
nature of the portfolios given to them.
“For
instance, there are two or three ministers with issues. A few others sent
emissaries and some erroneously confided in a few people close to the President
that they will be in charge of some ministries. The
President decided to prove them wrong completely.”
Asked to describe the
atmosphere after the portfolios were announced, the top government official
simply said: “Some ministers were certainly weak.”
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