\President Muhammadu Buhari had on 11th November, 2015 assigned portfolios to 36 ministers who are expected to implement his ‘change’ agenda.
Presiding at the swearing in ceremony of the new ministers, Buhari said that the assigning of portfolios was done to put square pegs in square holes, adding that members of his team were carefully chosen and assigned portfolios to reflect their capacities.
More than 3 months after the ministers were assigned portfolios, some have refused to come out of their shell.
Top sources within some ministries have posited that most of Buhari’s ministers are technically unfit for some of the ministries they were posted to, and have continued to make blunders and have become stumbling blocks to the administrations ‘change’ agenda.
Post-Nigeria gathered that President Buhari is said to be under intense pressure from some ‘powerful’ forces, including his party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, to “undertake a cleansing of the Federal Executive Council, FEC.”
As part of the impending restructuring, the following ministers have been seen to be doing nothing and many have recommended for their immediate disengagement before they lead the Buhari administration astray.
Geoffrey Onyeama – Minister of foreign affairs
Many had hoped that he would wield in his international expertise into Buhari’s agenda, however, more than 3 months after his appointment as the minister of foreign affairs, Nigeria as the giant of Africa still does not have a focused foreign policy agenda.
The failure to manage Buhari’s public and international perception has been traced to the lack of a foreign policy agenda.
If a nation’s foreign policy is understood as the expression of its national interests vis-Ã -vis other countries, it follows that foreign policy decisions need to be made and expressed and should not be left only with the so called Buhari’s ‘body language’.
Aisha Alhassan – Minister of women affairs
“Mama Taraba” was reported to have told the grieving chibok parents that they were not invited, during their visit to the villa. She was also reported to have told them that, the girls were not kidnapped under the current government, “so why are you harassing us?” As if the diatribe was not enough, Minister Alhassan reminded them: “You wanted schools, you wanted hospitals, you wanted this and that… you wanted so many things.”
As a minister of women affairs, many had expected that she would have been at the fore front of the chibok agenda. She has no doubt failed to carry the women folks along. Hence, there is an urgent need to find a suitable replacement.
Kayode Fayemi – Minister of solid minerals
The former governor of Ekiti state shocked many when he was assigned his portfolio as he was reported to have said that he would need time to learn in his ministry. An admission that nothing much should be expected from him as he did not envisage he would be posted to the ministry of solid minerals.
More than 3 months after he was assigned the portfolio, the former governor is yet to convince Nigerians that he is the right man for the job.
Lai Mohammed – Minister of Information and culture
He is a specialist in image laundering; he has refused to move on from the days of political campaigns. His public statements have done nothing, but dent the public image of the Buhari administration. He speaks on every issue, even though he does not have the right information, he would always speak.
He has continued to blame the previous government for the failures of the Buhari administration. He once said the 2016 budget was not padded, whereas the President admitted that his budget was padded. Many believe the former spokesperson of the APC would be more productive if he returns as the spokesperson of his party.
The current state of the economy is enough for the minister of finance to resign her position. The confusion within the economy especially on policy statements has been attributed to her inability to steer the ship of the Nigerian economy.
More than 3 months after she was handed the portfolio as the minister of finance, many Nigerians have become worst of, as poverty and hardship are now the order of the day.
Adebayo Shittu – Minister of Communications
The controversy surrounding the MTN fine has exposed the lack of managerial qualities of the Minister of Communications.
The hullabaloo trailing the role of the Ministry in the out-of-court settlement by MTN Nigeria, and its payment of N50 billion to the Federal Government still remains unaddressed. It is worthy to note that the telecommunications regulatory organ, the Nigeria Communications Commission, NCC, has been shielded away from the settlement process.
What other reason do we need to convince us that the minister of communications seems to be finding it difficult with his current portfolio.
Muhammadu Buhari – Minister of Petroleum Resources
He has been tagged the junketer-in-chief for his frequent foreign trips, which are still yet to yield benefits to many Nigerians. Many have forgotten that he is the current minister of petroleum resources and hence should be held responsible for the frequent fuel scarcity in the country.
The best decision Buhari must make is for him to relinquish his position as a minister, because his effect has not been felt, more than three months after.
