Akani Alaka
President Bola Tinubu, again signified that he would not toe the path of some of his predecessors in some of his actions when he assigned portfolios to all the 45 minister-designates ahead of the formal inauguration.
The tradition, as laid down by Tiinubu’s predecessors was to announce portfolios for the ministers after they were sworn in on occasions usually characterised by pomp and pageantry in the cosy Aso Rock presidential villa.
But Tinubu ended the anxiety and apprehension that usually characterised the wait by ministerial designates to know which ministries they will be posted to by announcing the allocation of portfolios ahead of the inauguration of his cabinet already scheduled for Monday.
It is also significant that unlike in the past, the portfolios were not announced personally by the president or the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
Ajuri Ngelale, the senior special assistant to President Tinubu on media and publicity had taken journalists covering the presidential villa by surprise when he walked into the briefing room at the Aso Rock presidential villa to announce the portfolios.
The Ministers and Their Portfolios
As he reeled out the designations to journalists, the former governor of Ebonyi State, Senator David Umahi, was assigned as the Minister of Works; Festus Keyamo was given Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development while former governor of Osun State, Adegboyega Oyetola, was appointed Minister of Transportation.
Also, President Tinubu appointed Abubakar Momoh as Minister of Youth; Betta Edu, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation; Ekperikpe Ekpo, Minister of State, Gas Resources; Heineken Lokpobiri, Minister of State, Petroleum Resources; John Enoh, Minister of Sports Development; Hannatu Musawa, Minister of Art, Culture and Creative Economy; Mohammed Badaru, Minister of Defence; Bello Matawalle, Minister of State, Defence; Yusuf Sununu, Minister of State Education; Ahmed Dangiwa, Minister of Housing and Urban Development; Abdullahi Gwarzo, Minister of State, Housing and Urban Development; and Atiku Bagudu, Minister of Budget and National Planning. Wale Edun was appointed Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Bosun Tijani, the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy; Ishak Salako, Minister of State, Environment and Ecological Management; and former governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Also, a former lawmaker, Bunmi Tunji-Ojo was allocated to a new ministry as the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy; Adedayo Adelabu was appointed the Minister of Power; Tunji Alausa, Minister of State, Health and Social Welfare; Dele Alake, Minister of Solid Minerals Development; and Lola Ade-John, Minister of Tourism.
Also, Doris Anite was appointed Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment; Uche Nnaji, Minister of Innovation Science and Technology; Nkiruka Onyejeocha, Minister of State, Labour and Employment; and Uju Kennedy, Minister of Women Affairs. Significantly, the President, in line with earlier speculations that he will reorganise some of the ministries, some portfolios were expanded or created out of the existing ones.
Tinubu Petroleum Minister
These include Ministries of Housing and Urban Development, Art, Culture and the Creative Economy, Agriculture and Food Security, Health and Social Welfare, Tourism, Aviation and Aerospace Development, Youth, Sports Development, Environment and Ecological Management and Steel Development.
The new portfolios are Water Resources and Sanitation, Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Marine and Blue Economy, Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation as well as Gas Resources.
Yet, another talking point from the announcement of the portfolio was that the ministerial designate for Kaduna was not listed following the failure of the Senate to clear the former Governor Nasir El-Rufai, though it was indicated in the statement that the nominee from the state will eventually handle Environment and Ecological Affairs portfolio when he is cleared by the President.
It was also noted that while the President appointed two Niger Deltans for the oil and gas sector as ministers of state (Minister of State, Gas Resources, Ekperikpe Ekpo and Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Heineken Lokpobiri), he did not appoint a substantive minister of petroleum leading to speculations that like his predecessors, he will eventually appoint himself as the chief superintendent of the sector.
There have been reactions to the ministerial portfolio with Tinubu getting commendations and knocks. Yani Sabagi, the National Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) was particularly not happy that another person from Bayelsa is being appointed as Minister of State for Petroleum Resources from the Niger Delta.
In an interview on Thursday morning, the IPAC chair said it is not a must that the minister for the oil sector should come from the Niger Delta. “I think we must change that scenario, but if he must do that – not because I am from the North Central – why don’t you give Federal Capital Territory to an indigene of North Central? – if you must be sensational about such very important ministry,” he said.
He also noted the President already has more than enough responsibilities to attend to and should not have added the petroleum portfolio to it.
“We have seen the kind of drawbacks we have had in the economy itself as a result of the lack of proper management of that industry (oil and gas sector). The president that is already more than occupied now is taking the ministry that he is going to supervise himself. I am sure we may not see the result that we want. What we want in that industry is that corruption must be chased out as quickly as we can,” he said.
Commendations/ Knocks
The President also gave the so-called juicy portfolios to the former governors on the ministerial list, except Bello Matawalle, who was appointed minister of state for defence. The substantive Minister of Defence was Mohammed Badaru, a former governor of Jigawa State.
Some analysts have faulted the appointment of Matawalle under whose leadership a big part of Zamfara State was under the reign of bandits.
In the same vein, Badaru, who was a businessman before he was elected the Governor of Jigawa State, according to analysts has no experience in the security sector.
With his allocation of the portfolio, Wike has become the second Southerner to be appointed the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) after Ajose Adeogun, who was appointed in 1976.
However, there have been speculations that the allocation of the juicy portfolio to the former Rivers governor may be an indication that President Tinubu is getting ready for a possible nullification of a victory by the court.
“He wants to have the Wike in charge of FCT so that he can deliver the capital city for him just like he did in Rivers during the 25 February election,” a commentator said. The appointment of nearly 60-year-old Abubakar Momoh as Minister of Youth has also been ridiculed.
Analysts have also identified those that they think are equipped with enough work experience and academic attainment to contribute to the realisation of the renewed hope agenda of the President. The Managing Director of the African Development Studies Centre, Victor Oluwafemi said the appointment of Edun as Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy was a perfect choice.
According to him, Edun’s background in merchant banking, economics and finance and development at the sub-national, national and international levels were great assets that can be deployed for a speedy recovery of the Nigerian economy.
“Edun has done it at a micro level in Lagos State and he can deliver at the federal level which definitely is at the macro level. Edun as minister of finance definitely has all it takes to help to galvanise the Nigerian economy to greater heights,’’ he said.
In the same vein, the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) said it was impressed with some of the portfolio allocations.
“We are particularly impressed with the portfolios assigned to Mr Wale Edun (Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy; Mr Solomon Lalong (Labour and Employment); Mr Nyesom Wike (FCT), and others as we look forward to working with them to drive our economy out of the hole it currently finds itself and also fast-track the total reform of our industrial relations system,” Director-General of NECA, Mr Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde said.
According to him, the urgent task before the ministers was to constitute the various boards and committees under their purview for the smooth running of the nation and their ministries. “Nigerians have high expectations and, as such, we urge the appointed ministers not to disappoint, even as we extend our heartfelt congratulations to them.”
Also, a group, the Young Innovators of Nigeria said the allocation of the portfolio of Communications and Digital Economy will reshape Nigeria’s technological landscape. The founder of YIN, Mr Andrew Abu, in a statement he issued in Abuja, said the Nigerian-British entrepreneur and co-founder of Co-Creation Hub (CcHUB), the leading Pan-African innovation and technology centre will propel the nation’s technological trajectory into uncharted territories based on his background and experience, thus leading to a proliferation of digital jobs which would boost economic expansion.
“With his presence, international affiliations and track record, the prospect of attracting a surge of angel investors in the Nigerian start-up ecosystem becomes more plausible.
Also, the Nigerian Association of Master Mariners (NAMM) applauded President Tinubu, for the creation of the Ministry of Marine and Blue and the appointment of a 41-year-old Tunji-Ojo, as the Minister.
NAMM President, Capt. Tajudeen Alao, who made the commendation in an interview in Lagos said the minister came in at the time when stakeholders were desirous of harnessing the potential of the maritime industry which served as the second revenue contributor to the country’s Gross Domestic Product.
A former Director of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Dr Titus Okunrounmu, described the list of ministerial portfolios as over-bloated for a country with a huge debt profile.
The former CBN director said in an interview on Thursday that the country cannot afford a large number of ministers and allowances, official vehicles and appointments of special assistants that will follow it.
“These excess baggage were not projected for in the 2023 Federal Budget and the revenue estimates could not cover the recurrent budget. In addition, the Federal Government needs financial discipline to curb corruption in the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to reduce the debt profile in the country,” he said.
