As Nigerians eagerly await President Muhammadu Buhari ‘s ministerial nominees, Assistant Editor LEKE SALAUDEEN examines the qualities of those who will constitute the cabinet.
Since May 29, when the President Muhammadu Buhari administration was inaugurated, Nigerians have been eagerly looking forward to the unveiling of the men and women who will constitute the Federal Executive Council. The expectation was heightened by the President’s promise to announce his ministers immediately on assumption of office. But, the President has explained that his cabinet will not be ready until September. The reasons are the need to prepare a solid structure on which the ministers will operate; reduction of the ministries from 42 to 19 and reforms in the public sector to enhance service delivery.
While agreeing with Buhari on why he has not constituted his cabinet, analysts said he should take his time in searching for credible people to be appointed as ministers. Ministerial appointment, they said is not meant for political prostitutes or charlatans, those who do not have electoral value or those who do not believe in the sanctity of change, the manta of the new administration. Appointments, they contend should be given to men and women, who have conscience, and not predisposed to imbibing the pedestal culture of deception, betrayal and dishonesty in serving their principal in a bid to acquire material gains at the expense of the people.
There are questions begging for answer: What criteria should President Buhari apply in picking his ministers? What qualities should the ministerial nominees possess?
Former Chairman of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) Ikeja Branch, Mr Monday Ubani urged Buhari to search for people who are prepared to offer selfless services.
Ubani said: We are where we are today because, former leaders were after what they can collect, their personal comfort and that of their immediate families; they didn’t care about the people and the nation. President Buhari should look for people that have vision for this country, people that want to leave legacies behind; people with fear of God in appointing his ministers.
“We have past leaders whose legacies are still being talked about today. There was one military officer called Brigadier Samuel Ogbemudia who was governor of old Bendel State (now Edo and Delta States). People of that states can’t forget Ogbemudia because of the developmental projects he carried out. In the Southwest, the Yorubas can never forget the great Awo because of the programmes he implemented as the Premier of old Western Region. In Imo State people still commend the late Sam Mbakwe for opening up rural communities through road construction when he was governor of that state in the Second Republic.
The lawyer added: “A ministerial nominee whether, man or woman, must be one who has capacity for value-addition towards the core fabric of the civil service, which is development administration. One who would not be told what to do, but one who is instinctually given to generating positive ideas and concepts that would help in growing the ministry or the department under his or her supervision”.
“A ministerial nominee, whether man or woman, must be one who has capacity for value-addition towards the core fabric of the civil service, which is development administration”
On those that could be considered for ministerial appointments, the lawyer said: “A person like Femi Falana (SAN) who has been in the forefront of the struggle for good governance in the country should be considered to enable him articulate his thoughts in governance. Buhari should also consider the renowned economist/columnist, Henry Boyo that has been talking on the mismanagement of the economy and abuse of foreign currencies. Similarly, Dr Oby Ezekwesili, a former Minister of Education should be considered given her track records within and outside government.”
Public Affairs commentator Mr Clem Baiye advised President Buhari to shop for people of integrity. According to him, the cabinet should be composed of personalities who possess professional skills, intellect and competence and people that are ready to render selfless services.
He added: “First, men and women that do not compromise their integrity should be given priority. In my view one of the biggest challenges our nation has gone through has been in this area. We cannot afford to have people who do not mind being compromised or who can easily compromise the nation’s interest.
“Second, we need men and women for whom public office is a public trust. The notion of public office as a personal, sectional or group interest has been the bane of our country. Now we should be looking for people who believe above everything else that a ministerial or any public office is not an opportunity to convert the public treasury to a personal, family or group piggy bank which they can raid at will. Indeed the classic notion of public office forbids such thinking or practice.
“Third, we require competent hands who are knowledgeable and possess leadership and organizational skills. These people in my view could have cognate experience but my first and second points should override.
“It should not be all about chronological experience. If someone has had a long experience in public service and he is short changing the public interest, of what use is such a person?
“Obviously, personal maturity and a disciplined temperament are good qualities that will help President Muhammadu Buhari’s public service ethos and thrust”.
Baiye said he was convinced that such men and women are available across ethnic, ideological and geopolitical lines.
Civil rights activist Comrade Moshood Erubami called for the recruitment of those who believe in the change mantra of the APC in the cabinet. According to him, the ministerial list must reflect the critical sectors of the society.
Erubami said, in appointing new ministers, the quality of who should make the list must be informed by the promise made by the President and what it represents in the life of the people whose aspirations have been heightened by the APC change mantra.
He stressed that the cabinet should not rely on the vaunted value of the nominees, but on the known virtues of honesty, passion for selfless service delivery and character of integrity.
“Such ministers must be selected from the collective of critical stakeholders in Labour , Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), informal sector workers, NANS, women groups, handicaps, civil society and human rights groups, These groups know who among them possess the values needed to turn around the economy, those whom the President desires would be acceptable to the populace who are yearning for genuine change in their country and in their lives.
“The appointment of Ministers into the cabinet of President Buhari is not an end but a means to achieving the end of reforming the status quo material conditions and democratic repositioning of the country among the comity of performing Nations in the world.
“Making such appointment must be informed by a new beginning, a paradigm shift in terms of real enthronement of genuine democracy and good governance, adherence to ethical value in public and private life and commitment to the norms of Human Rights and democratic value, in fact the beginning of the end of an evil era and the breaking of a long tortuous journey that should end all the pains of years of wrong and weak leadership, mismanagement of national resources, suppression of rule of law, and dehumanising of humanity”.
The new ministers, according to Erubami, should represent the real mantra of change beyond mere power shift, showing the beginning of a new era that will bring good welfare and security into the life of the people towards the achievement of the Presidents three key areas he has promised change namely security, corruption and economy.
He said ministers must understand issues affecting this country and possess the capacity to fix them under the very strong leadership of the President so as to jointly move the country on the path of rule of law, human rights, and democracy.
The ministers should be people that can install a new order rightly built on the foundation of massive participation of the people in an inclusive government, he stated.
“With the grim picture of the economy, as a result of the high debt over $65b, high number of the citizens that have not benefited from 16 years of civilian government, the very high percentage of debt repayment to the budget of the nation and the high number of states that cannot meet their primary obligations to their workers and other citizens. It is such ministers that can bail out the country from its grounded position, especially those who hold the magic wand that can meet all the genuine desires of the people who face uncertain future with high list of expectations, especially those who must start the interrogation of the challenges being faced by the people, economy and the governmental institutions squarely.
“The new Ministers must be those with the abilities that can help in the diversification of the economy, targeting job creation and food security projects through Agricultural development which must be strengthened by the strict regulation of the height of the economy- the oil and gas sector, proportionate distribution of income, minimising unethical practices and corruption in the country. Providing qualitative education and health facilities and services in order to move from government to governance and from policy initiation to programs implementation while the President will seize the initiative to take charge of the ethical reforms, so as to be satisfied that nobody even from his party is able to sway the anti-corruption revolution from achieving its targeted objectives.
“The cabinet must be composed of a crack team comprising mainly of Visionary technocrats who share the dream of good governance and can run government differently in the best interest of the people, Ministers who will within a short time bring about visible Changes in the styles of fighting Corruption by overhauling all the anti-corruption Agencies as the potent instrument to be used in waging the war. People who loath financial mismanagement, wastefulness, prodigalism and unethical practices, those with the attitude of change that can give new economic direction for sustainable human development.
“The new Ministers to man the economic, security and Justice sector must be visionaries who are , committed, selfless, compassionate, disciplined and strongly willed to move government from poverty level to prosperity for the benefits of the greatest number of the people in a way that portrays the new government as one that is focussed on Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time bound measures ( SMART) to bail out key sectors of the economy”.
