Yar'Adua plans no immediate cabinet reshuffle

Source: Thisdayonline.com
President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua of Nigeria
President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua of Nigeria

President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua has no plan to embark on cabinet reshuffle at this point in time, his spokesman, Mr. Olusegun Adeniyi, has said.

There have been speculations of an imminent cabinet reshuffle. It was reported that between five and seven ministers may be dropped in the cabinet change.

A report in a newspaper had indicated that some of the affected ministers are allegedly being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and State Security Service (SSS).
But Presidential spokesman Adeniyi dispelled the rumour last night.
He said there is no plan by the President to either remove or replace any minister at this point in time.

Adeniyi, in a terse statement, expressed worry over the source of the rumour, describing such speculations as distractive to governance.
He said: “I don't know where the speculations about cabinet reshuffle are coming from, but let me state for the avoidance of any doubt that there is no plan by the President to remove or replace any minister at this point in time.”

According to him, “The daily speculations in some newspapers have become a needless distraction as the public is being made to believe a lie.”

Speculations about impending cabinet reshuffle by the President have been making the rounds in some newspapers and elsewhere in the past two weeks.

The President is alleged to be uncomfortable with the performance of some of the ministers, thus fuelling rumours that he would announce a cabinet change on October 1, 2009, to coincide with the country's independence day.

The rumour has been so rife that some of the ministers who are not sure of making the list again were reported to be demoralised thus making them to be hesitant about taking certain actions in their ministries.