Congratulations To Nigerians

"If my cabinet is not ready by September, then Nigerians should ask me questions". Mr. XXXX

After much ado with about 6months of policy gap, Mr Buhari finally inaugurated his cabinet. We cannot but appreciate him and congratulate our Ministers likewise the governed.

To be candid, the portfolios designation has doused out tension of marginalisation(Northernization) that greeted earlier appointments made by Mr. Buhari. In fact, this is an attribute of a listening leader.

Without digging into their past records, it is a team with 11 legal luminaries while 3 of them are SANs, 5 females, 5 former Governors, and so on. We have the North handling the security sector and the economy is to the South which portrays a balance equation for Nigeria at large.

However, we have knocks for those still shouting for juicy Ministries. The word juicy in governance is synonymous to corruption. If it is service for humanity then juicy should not be borrowed from National Assembly as a payback.

Also, we have reservations for few mistakes in the appointments and the merging of Ministries as concerned citizens. Though, we are humans but it is better to take affordable risks.

For appointing an Accountant and prolific writer to boss over a Professor of curriculum in a sensitive Ministry like Education is an invitation to career suicidal. We hope this will be reversed.

Likewise merging of economy fulcrums like Power, Works and Housing was not well thought out. Even though many were referring to Mr. Fashola as a superman that is capable. If we really want good governance, there is a wide gap between a Governor over 10millions people and a Minister over 170millions people with sensitive pivots(Power and Works). Instead of separating Information from Communication, Power would have been made to stand alone.

Also, for a sensitive Ministry like Petroleum to be having 2 part-time overseers is not good for our economy. Mr President should know better as twice was billions of naira got into thin air while he was in this Ministry(as a Minister and PTF chairman). Therefore, leaving Ibe Emmanuel to double as a grade 2 Minister and NNPC GMD will not augur well for the economy. Even if we want to cut cost not this type as it will tantamount to counter productivity. A regulator cannot be policy maker at the same time.

Despite all these, we will say again kudos to Mr. Buhari for sailing through this herculean task. We strongly believe that adjustment will be made as it deems fit, designation is not a cast stone.

On a final note, our Ministers should know numbers even as we are aware that they will not sign cheques. They should do well to tell Nigerians that they are not noisemakers but policies drivers for the betterment of all.

Please let us support them as they hit the ground running.

Ifedayo Obi
Good Governance Advocates
[email protected]