President Buhari poses with his ministers after the inauguration.
6 Factors PMB Considered To Chose Portofolios
The sources have revealed the factors President Muhammadu Buhari considered before allocating portfolios to his ministers.
The Nation reports that Buhari considered six factors, which informed the assignment of portfolios.
They are:
- Security reports.
- Less exposure to politics.
- Priority on expertise and performance.
- Continuing investigations of some appointees.
- Dislike for lobbying and media profiling by some appointees.
- Buhari’s army background which sent sign to ministers that no one is guaranteed of any posit in his cabinet.
President Buhari was also said to have dissatisfied some of those who lobbied for “strategic” ministries.
According to sources, until the swearing-in time, the list of duties was known to only the president and members of his “kitchen cabinet”.
The portfolios were under high secrecy that even the office of the secretary to the government of the federation and the Buhari’s aides were uninformed.
Following the nomination and approval of the ministers, the Nigerian leader still asked appropriate agencies to provide a more discreet investigation of the incoming ministers.
The result of the “surveillance” was presented to Buhari and his kitchen cabinet in deciding the selection of portfolios.
The presidential source, who pledged to be anonymous, said: “Most of us, including the ministers themselves, were shocked when the portfolios were announced. In fact, some ministers were just unstable. The President and his inner cabinet kept the list secret. They didn’t allow it to leak at all.
“If the portfolios had been made available to any other office or desk, we would have known. So, the President used his military background to send the first message to the ministers that he has no favourite and they should always expect surprises.
“From the way the President assigned portfolios, nothing is settled on any minister. If anybody gets into trouble, he will not spare him or her.”
“There were reports that a minister had already formed a power cult around himself, such that those expected to serve under him had been paying obeisance,” the insider added.
“Another minister was holding discussions with some foreign partners based on assumption that a particular ministry had been conceded to him.
“Some ministers were openly telling friends, associates, party leaders and even key aides to the president that they will be in charge of some ministries.
“With security apparatchik and communication advantage, you know thepPresident has access to more information than anyone else. He picked some of these information and decided to surprise these ministers.
“He detested that some ministers had air around themselves that some ministries are their birthright.”
“You cannot rule out the fact that there are some ministers who did not get what they would have thought to be commensurate portfolios. But that is the working of the government for you.”
Ministers with shocking portfolios after last-minute decisions by the kitchen cabinet comprise Adamu Adamu (Education); Adebayo Shittu (Communications); Usani Usani (Niger Delta Affairs); Monsur Dan-Ali (Defence); Geoffrey Onyeama (Foreign Affairs); and Cladius Daramola (Minister of State for Niger Delta), who was said to have been billed for the Education ministry.
Another source also specified that President Buhari appealed for the expertise and performance target in assigning portfolios to some ministers.
These measures were said to have accounted for the portfolios of Kemi Adeosun (Finance), Babatunde Fashola (Power, Works and Housing), Audu Ogbeh (Agriculture and Rural Development); Abubakar Malami (Kebbi); Suleiman Adamu (Water Resources); Ibe Kachikwu (Petroleum Resources); Udo Udoma (Budget and National Planning); Prof. Isaac Adewole (Health); Amina Mohammed (Environment); Dr.Osagie Ehanire (Health); Lai Mohammed (Information); and Rotimi Amaechi, Hadi Sirika (Transportation).
READ ALSO: Buhari Gives Dos and Don’ts to Ministers
The another source added: “The thinking of the president is that most of those in this group, with the exception of Amaechi, have no political ambition in the nearest future. They are mostly experts who can deliver on the key areas of governance which can make the change he promised to the nation a reality. What Amaechi has going for him is vitality or energy to serve and knack for quality projects.
“With these experts manning vital ministries, there will be less pressure on them from politicians and hangers on. Their assignments alone will preoccupy them.
“So, their portfolios were based on a performance driven target.”
President Buhari reduced federal ministries from 42 to 25. The cut is probably in fulfillment of All Progressives Congress promise to cut down the cost of government.
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