*Tinubu to swear in ministers-designate Monday
By Emeka Ugwuanyi
President Bola Tinubu has assigned portfolios to his ministers-designate, while some ministries given to some ministers were round pegs in round holes, others are considered grave mis-match.
According to Eze Onyekpere, the Executive Director, Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), the ministries assigned to Wale Edun, Bosun Tijani, Ali Pate, Nyesom Wike, David Umahi, Lateef Fagbemi are appropriate and would enable them perform competently and optimally based on their antecedents.
For Wike and Umahi, considering what they did in their respective states as governors, and with robust consultations, they are expected to perform creditably.
However, the ministries assigned to Mohammed Badaru, Bello Matawalle, Festus Keyamo and Dele Alake, among others, seem to be inappropriate considering their antecedents and how germane such ministries are to the health of the economy.
Onyekpere also spoke on the substantive Minister of Petroleum Resources noting it is like that Tinubu wants to toe the path of his predecessor by being the Minister of Petroleum Resources.
He pointed out the danger in assuming such role. Besides the enormity of responsibilities of the office of the President and adding to it the challenges and troubles of Nigeria’s oil industry, it is easier to call the Minister of Petroleum to order if it is outside the presidency.
However, when the President is the Minister of Petroleum, it would be difficult to constructively criticize the person when he strays. Therefore, it is advisable that substantive minister of petroleum be given to someone aside the president for efficiency and maximum value addition.
The immediate-past governors of Rivers and Ebonyi States, Nyesom Wike and Dave Umahi were appointed as ministers of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and works respectively.
The president also appointed a former Jigawa State governor, Abubakar Badaru, as minister of defence, and Hannatu Musawa as minister of arts, culture and creative industry.
Others include Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, as minister of justice and attorney general of the federation, while former Osun State governor, Gboyega Oyetola, will serve as minister of transportation.
Meanwhile, the portfolio of minister of environment and ecological management was reserved for Kaduna State, which has no nominee so far.
The president did not assign anyone to the petroleum ministry so it is expected he will oversee the ministry like his predecessor, President Muhammadu Buhari. Also, there is no minister or Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, which indicates it may have been scrapped.
The ministers will be sworn in on Monday at the Presidential Villa.
Ministries split
Also, some ministries have been split, ostensibly to accommodate the large number of ministers. For instance, from the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, there is now the Ministry of Gas Resources. From the Ministry of Transportation, there is now a Ministry of Marine Transport and Blue Economy.
Also, from the Ministry of Information and Culture was carved out the Ministry of Art, Culture and Creative Industry, while the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development was split into the Ministry of Solid Minerals and the Ministry of Steel Development.
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu will swear in his Ministers-designate as members of thr Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Monday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
This was contained in a statement by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) on Wednesday evening.
According to the statement by the Director of Information in the OSGF, Willie Bassey, on behalf of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, the swearing in ceremony will hold from 10am on the said date.
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