Shock, praise trail ministers’ list as Senate begins screening

[TGD]

 Ondo, Kaduna missing, Benue, Ogun get two nominees each

Jonathan asks for 20 Special Advisers

Presidency continues talks with Okonjo-Iweala

THE list of would-be members of the federal cabinet sent to the Senate by President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday meant different things to the parties concerned.

To those, whose names appeared on the list, their supporters hailed the President over the action, while the followers of the apparent losers, renewed their clamour for the selection process to be revisited.

Even a section of Nigerian workers joined the fray as their unions opposed the inclusion of some nominees in the list.

The list was however not without some shocks. For instance, there was no ministerial nominee from Ondo and Kaduna states while Benue and Ogun States had two representatives each. The Presidency did not give any reason for the action. Of course, it is expected that the President will in the course, send a supplementary list.

Senate President David Mark also announced the receipt of a separate letter from Jonathan informing the Senate of his desire to appoint 20 special advisers to be part of his cabinet.

The Guardian learnt that the President may re-appoint some immediate past aides including former Special Adviser on Research and Documentation, Oronto Douglas, former Special Assistant on National Assembly Matters, Dr. Cairo Ojougbo as well as the Director of Publicity in his campaign organisation, Abba Dabo.  It was also gathered that former Deputy Governor of Ekiti State, Biodun Olujimi, is among those being considered for appointment.

The name of the Managing Director of the World Bank and former Finance Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, was also not in the list, contrary to expectations. There were, however, insinuations that the Presidency was still negotiating the terms of engagement with her.

Mark, who announced the list of 34 ministerial nominees during a plenary session, read the names from the President's letter containing the nomination.

The Senate promised that all the nominees would go through rigorous screening process.

The nominees are Emeka Wogu (Abia), Senator Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), Mrs. Dezani Alison-Madueke (Bayelsa), Godsday Orubebe (Delta), Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu (Ebonyi), Navy Capt. Caleb Olubolade (Ekiti), Prof. Ruqayyatu Rufai (Jigawa), Dr. Shamsudeen Usman (Kano), Mohammed Musa Sada (Katsina), Mohammed Adoke (SAN) from Kogi State, Mr. Olusegun Aganga (Lagos), Labaran Maku (Nasarawa), Alhaji Yisuf Suleiman (Sokoto), Dr. Onadiah Ando (Taraba), Hajia Zainab Maina (Adamawa), Prof. Ita Okon Bassey Ewa (Akwa Ibom), and Mrs. Stella Oduah-Ogiemwonyi (Anambra).

Others are Abba Moro (Benue), Dr. Samuel Ioraer Ortom (Benue), Alhaji Bukar Tijani (Borno), Mike Onolememen (Edo), Prof. Barth Nnaji (Enugu), Senator Idris Umar (Gombe), Prof. Viola Onwuliri (Imo), Dr. Bello H. Mohammed (Kebbi), Alhaji Bolaji Abdullahi (Kwara), Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru (Ogun), Dr. Akinwunmi Ayo Adesina (Ogun), Mrs. Olusola Obade (Osun), Olajumoke Akinjide (Oyo), Tonye Cole (Rivers), Dr. Yerima Lawan Ngama (Yobe), Ambassador Bashir Yuguda (Zamfara), and Hajia Zainab Ibrahim Kuchi (Niger).

The Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba (SAN), who emerged yesterday, told journalists at a press conference, after the session, that the nominees would go through a rigorous screening process. He added that the culture of "take a bow" hitherto accorded serving or former members of the National Assembly appointed ministers would not be allowed this time.

The screening exercise, according to him, begins today. "Every nominee will be subjected to same level of grilling," he said.

The Guardian learnt yesterday that Okonjo-Iweala "is still talking with the Presidency over her nomination."

The World Bank chief, according to Presidency sources, has given conditions for her joining the cabinet, "although she expressed her willingness to return to the country to serve her fatherland."

The source said her salary and allowances are not part of the issues being sorted out with the former minister but "purely policy matters.

"The discussion is about policy direction. The issue of dollar salary is not on the table. Government is aware that there are strong political undertones to some aspects of the propaganda, and we know they don't want the government to succeed. She has said that nobody should feel too big or too good to serve Nigeria," the source said.

Mark further read another letter from Jonathan nominating Mr. Frank Chineke for confirmation by the Upper House, as a member representing Rivers State in the board of the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).

As electricity workers threatened to embark on a national strike over the choice of former Special Adviser to the President on Power, Nnaji, Enugu State professionals have described their plan as selfish.

Also, Ohanaeze Ndigbo said on Monday that it supported the appointment of technocrats with proven integrity and track record of achievements into the new federal cabinet.

The Enugu group described the statement credited to the union as "diversionary," coming at a point the names of ministerial nominees were already before the Senate for screening and confirmation.

In a statement signed by Emma Uche Onyekwere and Dr. Tony Idris Ngene as President and Secretary in that order, Enugu Professionals maintained that "putting Nnaji in power sector translates to putting a square peg in a square hole because he understands the problems of power sector more than his critics."

As soon as the list was made public yesterday, the National Union of Electricity Employees threatened to throw the country in a total blackout if the President failed to reverse Nnaji's inclusion in the cabinet.

The union even organised a prayer session against the appointment of Nnaji.

The union members who are workers of the Power Holding of Nigeria (PHCN) alleged that Nnaji was part of the problem facing the sector.

Its Vice President, Mr. Ali Mshelinga, claimed that the over $16 billion so far spent by the government on the power sector never came to the (PHCN) as it was shared among government officials and contractors.

The Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) has commended Jonathan over the inclusion of Olubolade on the ministerial list.

It advised the Ekiti State chapter of the PDP against blackmail over the action, describing Olubolade's choice as one of the best things to happen to the people of the state and the PDP.

The CNPP urged the party to ruminate over its abysmal failure in the last general elections, rather than embarking on mudslinging and blackmail against the preferred candidate for the ministerial position.

In a statement signed by its Director of Publicity and Strategies, Mr. Ilesanmi Omolayo and made available to reporters in Ado-Ekiti yesterday, the CNPP slammed some of the party leaders who had been condemning the nomination of Olubolade as a minister.

Even though any of its members is yet to be represented in the incoming cabinet, the PDP in Ondo State has urged Jonathan to appoint an active politician as a representative of the state in the federal cabinet to "avoid total annihilation" of the party in the state.

 

 

 

 

The party, which reacted to the speculation that one Mrs. Omobolanle Johnson had been pencilled down as a minister to represent the state, said her alleged nomination "cannot be accepted by the generality of the followership of our party because she is not known to us."

In a protest letter addressed to the President and copied to other party leaders, Chairman of the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the party, Prof. Olu Agbi, said: "What the PDP needs in this state is a committed member as a minister who will provide the required leadership for us to resuscitate the party."

In Edo State, the PDP rose to the defence of the nomination of Omolememen, saying that claims that he was a first cousin of former chairman of the party's Board of Trustees were no true.  Mr. Okharedia Ihimekpen, the party's Director of Publicity and Strategy, said while Anenih hails from Arue-Uromi, Onolememen comes from Ivue-Uromi and have no blood relationship whatsoever with the Iyasele of Esanland.

It was a case of shadow-chasing in Bauchi State as a Dr. Jhalil Tafawa Balewa did not make the list even though a group, Jhalil Tafawa Balewa Solidarity Forum (JSF), was relentless in the campaign for his inclusion.

The group had claimed that after extensive consultations amongst stakeholders in the state, it had decided to support him in whatever capacity Jonathan would want him to serve.

The Chairman of the Forum, Alhaji Ali Ibrahim, who stated this at a press conference yesterday pointed out that "after reviewing its position as well as extensive consultations with stakeholders in the state, and particularly, Tafawa Balewa Local Council, the Forum endorsed the nuclear chemist for any federal appointment.



The Guardian