OCTOBER 31, 2017
Federal Executive Cabinet reshuffle is imminent as President Muhammadu Buhari indicated his plans to expand his cabinet to bring in more Ministers into the Federal Executive Council
This is just as he declared that Nigeria is now more credit worthy, citing the over subscription of Nigeria’s Euro-Bond by 4 times.
According to him: “Nigeria’s prestige has gone up, Nigeria is now credit –worthy, a clear testimony of which was the over-subscription of the Euro-Bond by 4 times.”
The cabinet increase, according to the President, is to bring in more supporters of the All Progressive Congress party at Federal Level, with fresh ideas to be injected into the government.
The President stated this in his address at the meeting of his party, the All Progressive Congress ( APC) National Working Committee, held at the party Secretariat, Abuja.
The move is coming on the heels of criticisms that has greeted Buhari’s administration by his party supporters who claimed that they had been shutout of government.
President Buhari’s preference for a lean cabinet had led to the drastic reduction in the number of Ministers to 36, with each Minister representing one State, as against the 44 Ministers in former President Goodluck Jonathan’s government.
It is not clear however, if the President who once described Ministers as ” noise makers” now has a different mind set towards them
The President had while responding to the question on forming his cabinet in September, 2015 declared that ” the Ministers are there, I think, to make a lot of noise; for the politicians to make a lot of noise. But the work is being done by the technocrats. They are there; they have to provide the continuity, dig into the records and then guide us, [those of us] who are just coming in.
He continued “So I think this question of ministers is political. People from different constituencies want to see their people directly in government, and see what they can get out of it”
The President, while giving his score card, said he was proud of his achievements.
“We can be proud of our achievements in the last two years, Boko Haram, Niger Delta, Regular Fuel, Improved Power, TSA, Agriculture and Fertilizer, above all, the knowledge that corruption will not be tolerated in this Government. We all know there is CHANGE.”
“Nevertheless, we are not resting on our achievements. I am quite aware of the challenges before us”
“Last year I said we would re-constitute the Boards of Parastatals. I must regret the fact that we have not done so, for many reasons”
“Some of us in this meeting may know I had given instructions since October 2015 for this exercise to start. But there have been inordinate delays through several Committees in an attempt to get the balance right and to make sure all parts of the country are equitably represented”
“On the other hand I am keenly aware that our supporters are very eager for these appointments to be announced. By the Grace of God these appointments will be announced soon. Especially now that the economy is improving, we will have the resources to cater for the appointees”
“By the same token the compressed Federal Executive Council will be expanded to bring in more supporters at Federal Level, with fresh ideas to be injected into the government”
“If we keep united and rise above petty or personal quarrels we will surely achieve the desired CHANGE in the country”
Tony Ailemen, Business Day