100 days in office: Tinubu’s ministers whose personalities, remarks have generated controversies

Tuesday, President Bola Tinubu clocked up 100 days in office, following his inauguration on May 29, 2023. On August 21, Tinubu sworn in his cabinet members, who immediately assumed their respective ministerial portfolios. As the ministers settle into their roles and begin their constitutional responsibilities, some of them have already found themselves embroiled in controversies. […]

Tuesday, President Bola Tinubu clocked up 100 days in office, following his inauguration on May 29, 2023.

On August 21, Tinubu sworn in his cabinet members, who immediately assumed their respective ministerial portfolios.

As the ministers settle into their roles and begin their constitutional responsibilities, some of them have already found themselves embroiled in controversies.

Daily Trust highlights four ministers who have made headlines at the start of their tenure.

Hannatu Musawa

One of the ministers under scrutiny regarding her NYSC status is the Minister of Art, Culture and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa.

The controversy of Ms Musawa began three years ago when she could not provide evidence of national service to senators during the screening for an appointment she was nominated for by former President Muhammadu Buhari.

But the controversy reached a new height in the past few days following the confirmation by the management of the NYSC that Ms Musawa, who was inaugurated as a minister by President Tinubu, was still undergoing her national youth service.

Consequently, critics began to call for her to be relieved of the ministerial position insisting she could not hold on to both.

A review of documents revealed that an NYSC discharge certificate issued in Ms Musawa’s name in 2003 exists and is in the custody of the Corps. However, authorities are withholding the document after accusing her of absconding at a point during her service year.

On her part, Ms Musawa said the NYSC was not diligent and careful enough in its search for her record and that she was not accorded a fair hearing to prove that she did not abscond.

Wike

Carrying a reputation as a no-nonsense leader, Nyeson Wike who was appointed Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) vowed during his maiden press briefing to demolish houses distorting the Abuja masterplan, and green areas within the nation’s capital, no matter whose ox is gored.

His proposed plan for mass demolition seeks to tackle what he perceives to be illegal and unplanned structures that have compromised efforts towards sustainable urban development.

“All those people who are distorting the masterplan of Abuja, too bad. If you know you have built where you are not supposed to build, it will go down.

“Be you a minister of anywhere, be you an ambassador, if you know you have developed where you were not supposed to develop, your house must go down. Those who have taken over the green areas to build, sorry, our parks must come back, the green areas must come back. If you hate green, you must hate yourself,” Wike said.

However, this decision has drawn significant criticism from civil society organizations (CSOs), community leaders, activists and Abuja residents.

They argued that Wike’s energy should be better channeled into improving essential services such as primary healthcare, education, and security.

Keyamo

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, courted some controversies when he suspended airports’ concession and national carrier.

Both airports concession and national carrier were major projects under the aviation roadmap implemented by the immediate past administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

But speaking during a tour of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos, his first tour of the busiest airport in Nigeria since his appointment, Keyamo said the concession and national carrier would be on hold until further notice.

The two projects became controversial following their approval a few days before the expiration of the former government.

Mohammed Idris

Mohammed Idris, Minister of Information and national orientation, raised some dust when he said the current administration would not rely on propaganda to sell government programmes and policies.

Idris spoke at the opening ceremony of the annual general meeting (AGM) of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) in Abuja.

He said the President Bola Tinubu administration would strive to restore people’s confidence and trust in the government by implementing tangible and credible policies.

“You are aware that the focus of government now is how to restore the confidence of the governed, in government and its institutions.

“This time around, a process of restoring popular confidence and trust in government and its policies shall not lie in the domain of propaganda,” Idris said.

His statement generated controversy as some critics made references to how propaganda thrived during the previous government under Buhari.