Ibrahim Shekarau: ‘Buhari is romancing with people who destroyed Nigeria’

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State, religious and community leaders have hailed the ministerial nomination of the former governor of the State, Dr Kayode Fayemi by President Muhammadu Buhari, describing it as a reward for hard work and vision he exuded while working as governor of the state.

He said: “Part of our job is to reach out to all the sections”.

However, Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio, raised a mild protest against the piecemeal release of the nominees’ names from President Buhari, and he suggested that the full names should have been sent to the Senate.

President Buhari noted that British, Swiss and other foreign anti-crime agencies had already given his administration much help with relevant information and intelligence on public funds that were stolen and illegally transferred to personal bank accounts by officials of past administrations.

The natural question to ask is this: How were the ministerial nominees chosen?

The IYC said, “Contrary to the impression created by Buhari’s government that the ministers would be agents of change and mainly distinguished technocrats, we are disappointed that most of the persons nominated by Buhari are recycled politicians and mostly disgruntled former members of the PDP”.

The PDP said: “By a mere look at the list, one can tell that there is nothing to be excited about, especially considering the length of time it took the President to come up with it”.

Reacting to the list yesterday, PDP said there was nothing exciting about the names. Amaechi became governor of Rivers State in 2007, after the court pronounced him the authentic governorship candidate of the PDP.

Whatever the real, but unstated, reason for the inexcusable delay in nominating ministers, one hopes that President Buhari realizes that Nigeria is too broken, too buffeted by crises, to afford expending more than four (or six months, if we count from the moment of his election) on personnel matters.

There were no surprises on Tuesday’s list, which senators will start vetting next week, said Senate President Bukola Saraki.

Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo was reported to have been presented by former president Olusegun Obasanjo as the possible Minister of Finance for President Buhari’s administration. “Audu Ogbeh has an outstanding public record that everybody knows”.

Many Nigerians see her arrest as part of Buhari’s clean up.

“And better results for our country is what the APC government for Change is all about”.

In the past, Mr. Buhari had indicated that he wanted to do a thorough check on his nominees, to avoid having to rusticate ministers shortly after asking them to serve.

The Senate spokesman, Senator Dino Melaye, had disclosed that the era of “bow and go” was over for nominees in the Nigerian Senate.

“I am sorely disappointed with the ministers not because of their personalities but because of their age!” The petitions were submitted by protesters from Oyo, Kaduna, Rivers and Bauchi.

A few critics say the constitution forbids a sitting president to hold another public office.

He said the screening would be beamed live to Nigerians on Tuesday October 13.

“Obasanjo today belongs to those who are chief advisers to President Muhammadu Buhari“.