AJIMOBI'S OPPONENT, VARSITY DON, OTHERS MAKE CABINET LIST
Barring any odds, the Oyo State House of Assembly will today begin discussions on screening of nominees into Governor Abiola Ajimobi's imminent cabinet and chairmen of the caretaker committees for the 33 local governments in the state.
Daily Sun authoritatively learnt that the lists of nominees for commissioners and interim chairmen for the councils were sent to the Speaker of the House, Mrs. Monsurat Olajumoke Sunmonu, yesterday afternoon.
The governor had last Thursday told journalists that the nominations would be ready by last Friday. But sources said the list could not be ready by then due to last minute changes made on it by the governor.
Names on the list were a subject of secrecy, being guarded jealously by last night but Daily Sun was able to establish that the Accord Party (AP) got three of the slots in the proposed State Executive Council and four for the council chairmen.
A highly placed source confirmed that Mr. Kazeem Adesile, a lawyer and former governorship aspirant who contested the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) primary election against Ajimobi made the list.
Others who also made the list include a university don, Dr. Bayo Ojo and the ACN youth leader in the state, Bosun, whose full names could not be confirmed by press time. Also Gbolagade Busari, a former House of Representatives aspirant and businessman was said to have been on the list.
Sources told Daily Sun that the selection of the nominees was a tough nut to crack for the governor, who, it was gathered, had to resort to picking his men on senatorial district basis as the 16 available portfolios could not go round the 33 council areas.
Daily Sun could not also confirm the number of women on the roll.
The senatorial districts are Oyo North, Oyo South and Oyo Central.
In the council chairmen's list it was gathered that Abass Aleshinloye, a fierce Ajimobi loyalist made it for Oluyole, while ACN scribe in the state, Wasiu Olatunbosun was nominated for Ibadan North East.
Others, who featured in the list are Ahmed Iyiola Ambali (Akinyele) and Lapade Babatunde Idris a.k.a Ladipo (Ibadan North).
When contacted, the Speaker was evasive about the receipt of the lists, saying finishing touches were still being put on them. In fact, it was learnt that the governor recalled the lists once again for possible review.
Sunmonu, however, said the list was likely to be ready and tabled before the house at today's plenary session.
The governor has also penciled down a total of 20 special advisers (SA) for his administration, impeccable sources told Daily Sun last night.
It was also learnt that while 90 percent of the SAs are professionals without strong political affiliation, only about 50 percent of the commissioners are core politicians. This confirmed Ajimobi's undisguised preference for technocrats to drive his administration's development agenda for the state.
The commissioners- nominees include Ajimobi's former speaker of the House of Assembly during Senator Rashidi Ladoja's regime, Mr. Adeolu Adeleke (Ladoja's candidate) and Ajimobi's running mate in his days as the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) governorship candidate, Mr. Peter Odetomi.
A neuroscientist, Dr. Gbadegesin also made the list. Ladoja has one other candidate conceded to him in the cabinet.
Daily Sun sources hinted that some ministries might be reorganised to pave way for more efficiency. The regional integration section may be created under the Special Duties Ministry. The arm of the ministry would work with other states in the region on regional integration plans by the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).