Atiku’s running mate, Peter Obi speaks on Buhari’s delay in forming cabinet

NEWS

Atiku’s running mate, Peter Obi speaks on Buhari’s delay in forming cabinet

 

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, 2019 vice presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has frowned at President Muhammadu Buhari’s delay in constituting his cabinet.

Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, said serious leaders form their cabinet within one week of assuming power.

Buhari, who dissolved his cabinet prior to his swearing-in on May 29, was yet to unveil his new team.

Obi, while addressing journalists in Lagos at the weekend, called on the president to constitute his cabinet as soon as possible.

According to him: “…these are serious leaders who are ready to move their countries forward. Imagine forming their cabinets within one week of being sworn in.

“Can you compare them with what is happening here in our country? I have always said it that for our country to move forward, it must change its current compass.”

The vice presidential candidate faulted the Buhari-led government for allegedly plunging Nigeria into a debt of over N11 trillion “despite having nothing to show”.

“What we have today in Nigeria is the cumulative effect of leadership failures. A leader must know his/her destination. Painfully, we have plenty bad role models masquerading as leaders.

“Nigeria is in total mess because of too much borrowing caused by leadership failures. Our situation will get worse if we do not solve these problems urgently. There is serious crisis in Nigeria because politics is now business and transactions. In fact, we have reduced our lives to transactions in Nigeria.

“Tell me, what is working in Nigeria today? A country where states owe billions and the federal government has borrowed over N11 trillion since coming into office and there is nothing to show for all the borrowed funds. Are you not worried that over 21 million of our youths are not employed?

“Nigeria is gradually collapsing and unemployment is part of the disease killing Nigeria. All hands must be on deck to help save our nation from these leadership failures.”

 

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Ministerial appointment: Tinubu makes demand from Buhari

POLITICS

Ministerial appointment: Tinubu makes demand from Buhari

 

The lawmaker representing Lagos Central senatorial district at the National Assembly, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to show magnanimity by appointing many women into his new cabinet.

She lamented that the National Assembly was gradually turning into an “exclusive gentlemen’s club”.

Tinubu linked the apathy amongst women in running for elective political positions to a number of reasons.

She stated this yesterday in Abuja at an event that also had the presence of the First Lady, Aisha Buhari.

She said, “We are still watching and hoping that maybe, the President will be magnanimous enough to appoint a lot of female ministers but they should be ministers who will not disappoint us and do the work; not to go there and embezzle money.

“You know the last experience was not actually pleasant, it should be women who are ready to serve and make the necessary sacrifice.

“Do we need women in the public place? Yes, that is why I am here to encourage the younger generation to reach for the sky.

“It has always been seven or eight women in the National Assembly, the National Assembly is turning into exclusively a gentleman’s club and I think that if we are not careful, that is what it will turn out to be and it is quite sad.

“I don’t think they are being good sportsmen; they are quite vicious when it comes to positions; everybody is striving and I think we women have to start raising boys that are gender-friendly. We raised all these selfish men and this is what we pay for that.

“The coming generation should begin to raise men that would not feel threatened by a woman who is in a top position, so we still have a lot to do but the current men that are here are very vicious when it comes to seeking for top positions.

“Not that they don’t allow women, it is just that everyone is striving so hard and you can see that the violence in politics is keeping women back, there are a lot of things keeping women back but the point is that the men are not just gender-friendly.

“I was just looking when we went for registration today and I was just looking because it was just a sea of men.”

 

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Why I’ve been appointing women to head Nigeria’s treasury since 2015 – Buhari

NEWS

Why I’ve been appointing women to head Nigeria’s treasury since 2015 – Buhari

 

President Muhammadu Buhari has disclosed why he entrusted the nation’s Ministry of Finance into the hands of women since 2015 when his government came on board.

He explained that women have been in charge of the country’s treasury since he came to power due to his trust in them.

Speaking while receiving representatives of Nigerian women on a Sallah homage at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Wednesday, the President assured that he would give more recognition to women in his forthcoming cabinet.

He said: “I think the biggest trust any leader will entrust, whether in a household, a town or a country is to give the treasury to the women. Since I came women are in charge of the treasury. 

“So, I don’t think it is the number that matters, the fundamental thing is who hold the bag. Look at the treasury and look at the civil service. Even with this, you are still asking for more. In the spirit of Oliver Twist, we will watch out the numbers.”

In her remark, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Administration, Dr. Hajo Sani, called on the President to consider more women in his new cabinet.

“We know you have us at the back of your heart and you know we have the women that are capable, women that have the potentials and women that will have value to your administration,” Sani said.

Remember that upon assumption of power in 2015, Buhari appointed Kemi Adeosun as Minister of Finance but she resigned her appointment on September 14, 2018, after she was accused of forging her National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, certificate.

Following her resignation, Zainab Ahmed, who was before then the Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, was appointed by Buhari as Adeosun’s replacement.

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Femi Adesina speaks on Buhari’s new cabinet

NEWS

Femi Adesina speaks on Buhari’s new cabinet

The Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to the President, Mr. Femi Adesina, has insisted that the All Progressives Congress, APC, will play a role in determining the choices President Muhammadu Buhari would make in picking the next cabinet ministers but the party would not lord it over him.

According to him, President Buhari, as a loyal party man would make provision for his party’s recommendations but would personally take definite decisions as to who gets what portfolio in the Federal Executive Council even as Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has hinted that there will be a cabinet of national unity.

Speaking with The Guardian, Adesina said: “The party will surely have a stake and voice in who makes the cabinet, but it won’t lord or impose things on the President. The President is a member of the party, and the party will have its dues, but the buck still stops at the President’s table.”

On whether President Buhari will not take long to constitute a new cabinet like he did in 2015, Adesina said: “The circumstances are no longer the same. So, there would be no delay. When you land in the mud of poor and delayed handover notes as happened in 2015, with a vandalised economy and a polity with different types of challenges, the delay would be understandable. But now, we have the good fortune of transition from government to government headed by the same President and Vice President, things can then be done more expeditiously.”

Speaking on whether some outgoing ministers will be retained given the general perception of poor performance, he said: “That is a matter of opinion. If that is what you believe, you are entitled to it. But it does not make it the gospel truth. Members of the outgoing cabinet have served with diligence and commitment, and that is why the President kept them till now. If there was any laggard, you can be sure the President would not suffer such person gladly.”

On why the President’s kitchen cabinet could still be majorly of people Nigerians think do not represent the plurality expected of a national government, Adesina defended President Buhari, saying: “Members of kitchen cabinets are people you know closely, and whom you can vouch for. There’s nothing that says such must be subjected to federal character principle. A President composes his kitchen cabinet of people he knows, and is comfortable with. But on a general note, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, has indicated that the incoming government would be one of national unity. The President will always do what is best for the country at any given time.”

Adesina further assured Nigerians that transition to a new government on May 29, will be seamless.

“What makes it better is that the leadership of the outgoing government is the same as the incoming one. Ministers had been told to turn in their stewardship reports by April 24, and I believe, all of them complied. The valedictory Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting will hold on May 24, and different committees are working on the May 29 inauguration ceremony. Things are shaping up beautifully,” he said.

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BREAKING NEWS Gov. Dickson, Appoints New Commissioners, Reshuffles Cabinet

BREAKING NEWS

Gov. Dickson, Appoints New Commissioners, Reshuffles Cabinet

Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, has effected what could be described as a minor cabinet reshuffle in the state executive council with three new commissioners assigned portfolios.

Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson, who disclosed this in Yenagoa as a fall-out of the state executive council meeting held on Wednesday, said newly-inaugurated commissioners, including, Funkazi Koroye-Crooks, Ebipatei Apiangolo and Faith Opuene attended the meeting and were assigned portfolios.

He said Koroye-Crooks was assigned the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Investment while Apaiangolo was assigned Ministry of Environment, with the former commissioner, Williams Alamene, given other responsibilities.

Iworiso-Markson said Dickson has carved out the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs from the Ministry of Women and Social Development and assigned the new Ministry to Mrs Faith Opuene.

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