…Tinubu Ministerial List

By Jude Opara, Eze Okechukwu, Abuja

President Bola Tinubu yesterday forwarded the long awaited ministerial list to the Nigerian Senate for the necessary screening and confirmation.

The list, which has four immediate past governors, seven women and 17 other nominees, has generated varying reactions from different segments of the society.

While some analysts welcomed the list, others said there was nothing to cheer about the list, which they claimed was populated mainly by politicians as against expectations that technocrats will be appointed.

Read Also: Tinubu’s aide disowns ministerial list, says it’s ‘mere fabrications’

In his reaction, a former National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Waziri Bulama said the list is fair enough because it was able to address some of the burning national questions that bother on gender, inclusiveness and the ability to deliver on the job.

Bulama, who spoke to DAILY ASSET, noted that the provisional list has taken care of women representation with each of the six zones of the country having at least one female nominee.

He also observed that there are technocrats who have been able to distinguish themselves in their chosen career as well as tested politicians who have the capacity to operate efficiently in a country like Nigeria.

“For me the list should be seen in three main fronts: the gender classification, talking about youth and women representation. The second one is the balancing to capture the interest of every part of the country and the third is the quality of the nominees.

“There are technocrats with people like Lateef Fagbemi and Nasir El-Rufai. These are people that have distinguished themselves over time and I believe they will equally deliver now. There are people like Prof. Pate who really can interpret policies. So for me, the list is well balanced,” Bulama said.

Read Also: Tinubu’s Ministerial List Not Ready – Alake

In his own reaction which he posted on his verified Twitter handle, fiery Kaduna activist, Senator Shehu Sani said the list was more of reward for those he described as “vultures” who allegedly played Judas during the election.

Sani, a former Senator claimed that President Tinubu rewarded ‘some vultures’ for playing Judas in the last general elections.

Senate President, Godswill Akpabio read the ministerial list at plenary on Thursday, which contained the names of former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, former Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike former Ebonyi state governor, Dave Umahi, former Jigawa state governor, Abubakar Badaru and 24 other nominees.

Sani who is well known for his outspokenness described some of the nominees as ‘serpents with a known history of betrayal’.

“The Ministerial list; The President embraced some Serpents with a known history of treachery and rewarded some vultures for playing the Judas. Appeasing a snake in a palace doesn’t spare the King,” Sani tweeted.

Senate Commences Screening Monday

The senate will commence the screening of the 28 man ministerial list earlier sent to her yesterday by the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, President Bola Tinubu, from monday next week. The screening will run through the week, beginning from 11am monday and 10am on subsequent days.

President Bola Tinubu had submitted his Ministerial list to the Senate yesterday; comprising a diverse group of former governors and technocrats. The list was presented in a letter addressed to the Senate President and read at the floor of the Senate during plenary.

The responsibility of delivering the list fell upon Femi Gbajabiamila, the former Speaker of the House of Representatives and current Chief of Staff to President Tinubu. He had entered the revered Chamber at precisely 1.18 pm, promptly delivering the letter at 1.19 pm.

However, at a press briefing, Senate Spokesman, Yemi Adaramodu (APC, Ekiti South), commended the President Tinubu for sending the list before the constitutional deadline of 60 days upon swearing in, maintaining that the screening would commence on Monday next week, and will run through the week.

Senator Adaramodu, who is expecting high velocity performance from the ministerial nominees, noted that the screening would be thorough and not wishy washy.

“The Senate is happy to receive the ministerial list before the constitutional deadline of 60 days upon swearing in the new government. We have shelved our annual vacation which we ought to have announced today so we can begin the screening next week, starting from 11am Monday. The screening will be thorough. The nominees will satisfy all criteria for delivery; mental, character, energy because they are the oxygen the government needs to fly this Nigeria aeroplane to the Promised Land,” he said.

On not apportioning portfolios to the ministerial nominees, he noted that the job of a minister is like that of a governor, who doesn’t need to be an engineer to build bridges for his people or be military officer to be able to provide security for his people.

“The ministers wouldn’t have to have an expertise in all spheres of human endeavors. In special cases, of course expertise will be considered, like in Health and Judiciary. But in a ministry like Special Duties, what would the minister study to be qualified? So, we will rely on their experience,” he added.

On the nominees with allegations of misappropriation of funds like in the case of some former Governors, the Senate.

“We will check everyone out accordingly, but don’t forget all the nominees had undergone security checks and subsequent clearances before their names were made public.

“However, we will be glad to receive reports of allegations of misappropriation of public funds, from their constituents so we can have grounds to pin them down,” the Spokesman said.

States left out of the ministerial list are Adamawa, Bayelsa, Gombe, Kano, Kebbi, Kogi, Lagos, Nasarawa, Osun, Yobe and Zamfara.

The nominees are Abubakar Momoh, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama, Arch Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, Barrister Hannatu Musawa, Chief Uche Nnaji, Dr. Betta Edu, Dr. Doris Aniche Uzoka, David Umahi, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, Mohammed Badaru Abubabakar, Nasir el Rufai and Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo.

Others are Nkiru Onyejeocha, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, Hon. Stella Okotete, Hon. Uju Ohaneye, Mr. Bello Muhammad, Mr. Dele Alake, Mr. Lateef Fagbemi SAN, Mr. Muhammad Idris, Mr. Olawale Edun, Mr. Waheed Adebayo Adelabu, Mrs. Suleiman Ibrahim, Prof. Ali Pate, Prof. Joseph Utsev, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, Sen John Owan-Enoh and Sen. Sani Abubakar Danladi,