[dropcap]Y[/dropcap]esterday, the new ministers were sworn in and given portfolios. Several ministries were merged and the total number of ministries pruned.
Kemi Adeosun emerged as the minister of Finance. With a challenged economy, significant dip in revenues, risk of inflation running riot, naira under very significant pressure, foreign financial organizations exiting our bond markets, liquidity squeeze and the need to churn out policies that will impact the economy positively, she doesn’t have the clout and the pedigree to run that Ministry. She lacks the pedigree of Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and the gravitas of Charles Soludo. Her ability to hold her own with international rating agencies and financial organizations is untested.
For someone who ran her state economy to a point where that state needed a bail out to pay salaries, appointing her to run a national economy without even as much as a minister of State is a blunder. You can’t have a struggling CBN Governor and also have a struggling minister for Finance. A blunder.
I don’t envy Babatunde Raji Fashola. I honestly don’t think Buhari did him a favour by assigning three very significant ministries to him. Being the Minister for Works alone is a tasking assignment but when you have Power and Housing added, then that’s a daunting task. I think giving him those three ministries is setting him up for failure. That’s the entire infrastructure framework of the country resting on the shoulders of one man! The fact that he’ll be supported by a Minister of State for Power does little to relieve the enormous burden of responsibilities. With 192,300km of Federal Roads to be covered, national power supply hovering around 4,000MW and a housing deficit of 17m, this looks ugly.
The worst thing you can do to anyone with great potential is to underutilize their abilities or put them in a position where their latent capacities may never be be called upon. That’s exactly what may happen to Kayode Fayemi as the Minister for Solid Minerals. He should be the Minister of Foreign Affairs given his experience or even the Minister for the Interior supervising the Police and other para-military agencies given the fact that he has a PhD in War Studies. A blunder.
My greatest disappointment of the whole lot was that of James Ocholi. Here was a man who shone like a million stars during screening and spoke like a law professor now made a Minister of State for Labour. Honestly, the judgment of the President is called to question with this appointment. Ocholi should be the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation. Being a side kick to Chris Ngige is curious. A most injurious blunder.
Abubakar Malami could be any other thing except the Minister of Justice. It’s actually unbelievable that he will be given that sensitive portfolio ahead of James Ocholi. A blunder.
Audu Ogbeh is a right fit as the Minister of Agriculture. He is still of very sound mind in spite of his age and his patriotism is not in doubt. His experience shows he’s a round peg in a round hole. Good.
Okechukwu Enelamah has been raising capital and chasing after investors for various projects all his working life. He’s the right fit as the Minister of Trade, Industry and Investment. Good.
I don’t know whether to weep over the appointment of Adamu Adamu as the Minister of Education or not. Making a journalist as the Supervising Minister to resuscitate the moribund state of education in a country like ours is bad enough. But making a Professor of Education and a former Vice-Chancellor of a Nigerian University, Anthony Anwukah a junior minister reporting to Adamu Adamu shows the value we place on education. The appointment should have been the other way round. Even Nyesom Wike was made a junior Minister of Education to Professor Rukayat under former President Jonathan. A tragic blunder.
Isaac Adewole Folorunsho is one person that can hold down two portfolios comfortably- Health or Education. Fit for role. Dr. Osagie Ehaniren is a good complement. Good.
There’s no other role to place Lai Mohammed except for Information. Good.
Given the propensity for previous holders of the office of the Minister of the Niger Delta for frivolities and gross corruption, I think it’s a good thing that Rotimi Amaechi was not given this portfolio. Usani Usani who is a grassroots person and has been involved in evaluating projects for NDDC in times past while also serving on the Petroleum Task force for Cross River State is fit for role. Good.
Chris Ngige should do well in the Ministry of Labour and Employment. He retired as a Deputy Director in the civil service and understands the intricacies of labour engagement. Good.
Abdulrahman Dambazzu will do better as the Minister of Defence than Minister of the Interior. He was a former Chief of Army Staff and the current Boko Haram menace needs his professional understanding and handling. He however holds degrees in criminology and criminal justice and this will help him in the role. It seems his round peg is bigger than the hole it’s being put. Good nevertheless.
Adebayo Shittu shouldn’t have been given a role that will give him undue exposure. Apart from the fact that I think the Ministry of Communications should have been merged and not stand alone, this is a sensitive ministry. He should have been tucked away somewhere as a Minister of State- just like Claudius Daramola. Poor fit for role. Another blunder.
Udo Udoma will handle the portfolio of Budget and National Planning well. Good fit.
Mansur Dan-Ali’s highest career point was as an artillery commander. I hope the office of minister of defence does not overwhelm him. A bit wary but should be good overtime.
Ogbonnaya Onu holds a First Class Degree in Chemical Engineering and authored a book called ‘Technology and Development’. He has been assigned the Science and Technology Portfolio. I think this portfolio should have been merged with that of Education. Ogbonnaya is a good fit.
Aisha Alhassan as Minister of Women Affairs. I really can’t think of anything else. Good.
Suleman Adamu has worked as a project manager on many water projects. He’s fit for role as the Minister of Water Resources. Good.
Geoffrey Onyeama doesn’t have the charm of most Minister of Foreign Affairs. Consider Bolaji Akinyemi. Consider Joy Ogwu. Consider Mathew Mbu. Consider Odein Ajumogobia. Consider Ojo Madueke. Consider Gbenga Ashiru. However, he is a polyglot and can speak German and French in addition to English. I don’t see the value however that Khadijat Bukar Abba will add to him as Minister of State. Good-cautiously.
With her experience in development planning and as a former Special Adviser on Millennium Goals, Amina Mohammed is best suited for the portfolio of National Planning. However, she has served three different Presidents and founded a firm of engineers and architects. Not quite her forte but she should handle the portfolio of the Environment Ministry well. Good.
How does one react to an individual who will handle the Youths Ministry but doesn’t even have a social media account? How does one react to a Minister of Sports who has never been involved in the administration of any sport before? Solomon Dalong was a former Assistant Inspector of Prisons and Chairman of a local government in Plateau State in addition to being a lawyer. Now, he will be Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports. A blunder.
I don’t know what to make of the appointment of someone who headed the National Hajj Commission for eight years as the Minister of the FCT. Will the office not overwhelm the holder? The jury is still out but for me this is a blunder.
I reserved Rotimi Amaechi for the very last. It’s noteworthy that he wasn’t given the Niger Delta Ministry. He didn’t get the Petroleum Ministry like it was touted earlier. He didn’t get the Works Ministry either. He has been saddled with the Transportation Ministry. Rotimi Amaechi is a bundle of energy and he always seem to be able to draw the spotlight to himself- no matter what he does. I believe he will bring some prominence to this Ministry. For a moment, forget about the monorail tragedy in Rivers State. I’ll still score him good.
May God help them to deliver in their new roles.
Bayo Adeyinka is a journalist. This article was originally published on his blog, Bayo Adeyinka. Connect with him on Facebook.
The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.
