Ministerial scorecard

Attorney-General Mohammed AdokeAdoke has not lived up to the expectation of his compatriots who thought he would energise the Economic and Financial Crimes Commis-sion (EFCC) to make the outfit more potent. Also, under his watch, corruption is alive and well while the law stands akimbo. Maybe what the nation requires in these kleptocratic times is […]

Attorney-General Mohammed Adoke
Adoke has not lived up to the expectation of his compatriots who thought he would energise the Economic and Financial Crimes Commis-sion (EFCC) to make the outfit more potent. Also, under his watch, corruption is alive and well while the law stands akimbo. Maybe what the nation requires in these kleptocratic times is an activist lawyer.
Communication Minister Bola Johnson
This quiet achiever has been able to ensure stable growth in the ICT sector and encouraged one of the strategic parastatals under her ministry, namely the Nigerian Communications Commission to continue fighting on the side of consumers. If Nigeria achieves the projected broadband penetration during the life of the Jonathan administration, a lot of the credit will deservedly go to this seemingly apolitical woman.
Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
She was the most celebrated ministerial nominee at the inception of the Jonathan administration. In another clime, under a different set of circumstances, Dr Okonjo-Iweala could have been a high flyer. But under a system that encourages impunity and corruption she has found herself fighting so many fires to such an extent that she sometimes sounds deliberately obfuscating or at best calculatingly esoteric. If her contention that the Nigerian economy is better under Jonathan than under his predecessors is not translated to demonstrable better life for the people before 2015, the verdict will be that her best years are behind her.
Labour Minister Emeka Wogu
Dour and colourless, this minister has nonetheless carried himself as a trusted partner of all federal establishments with labour challenges especially in the last two years. One of the lessons he will be taking away on leaving office is that industrial courts are not a substitute for direct unconditional negotiations.
Petroleum Minister Diezani Madueke
Her middle name could well be Madam Controversy. Her handling of the petroleum sector has been so opaque that the impression is given that it is a secret cult. Too many scandals have been recorded under her watch. Many analysts have long concluded that whatever happens she is untouchable.
Works Minister Mike Onolememen
The budget that this minister oversees is as ebullient as his physique, but there are allegations of overpriced road contracts hanging over him. How does he, for instance, justify the upward review of the contract for the Abuja-Lokoja road which to date is still a killing field? He is to be congratulated for some of the federal roads rehabilitated during his tenure, but at what cost?
Health Minister Onyebuchi Chukwu
Nothing new seems to be happening in the health sector but the foreign agency-backed war against polio will be credited to him if the 2015 target for polio eradication is met. He needs to move closer to workers in the health sector if he is not to be disgraced out of office.
Aviation Minister Stella Oduah
In another country, Ms Oduah would long have ceased to be a minister. When this writer returned from the UK last week, the arrival lounge of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport was like a motor park. The lounge was an oven. What do first time visitors to Nigeria think of us? Wouldn’t some of the money earmarked for bullet-proof cars for the minster have provided ACs and other facilities needed at our airports? It is on account of people like this that more Nigerians have bought into anti-Jonathan propaganda.
Interior Minister Abba Moro
Seems to have permanently put the gear in auto-pilot and sat back to listen to music.
FCT Minister Bala Mohammed
As morning shows the day, this man will leave the FCT worse than he met it. He is a good example of the foolishness in basing appointments on grovelling sycophancy.
Women Affairs Minister Zainab Maina
Nice matronly symbol of government’s gender sensitivity, perceived as an appendage to the person and office of the First Lady.
Agriculture Minister Akinwunmi Adesina
Creative and unfazed by the unbeaten track, he is a round peg in a round hole and has achieved measurable success in the agricultural sector. Little wonder he won the Forbes African of the Year prize. He is one of the reasons the Jonathan administration can boast of some verifiable achievements.
Niger Delta Affairs Minister Godsday Orubebe
Has the (mis?)fortune of heading a ministry whose duties overlap with other agencies. Neither hot nor cold; less a technocrat than a politician with the advantage of not exciting negative passions.
Sports Minister Bolaji Abdullahi
If the successes recorded by the national teams are anything to go by, Abdullahi has justified his appointment as minister. He has the provided responsive leadership and demonstrated that he is a credit to his generation.
Information Minister Labaran Maku
If one ignores his propensity for verbal diarrhoea and pseudo-syllogisms which are the hallmark of salesmen trying to flog a bad product, one must admit that Maku has manned his corner well. His is one of the most difficult jobs in the land.
Trade Minister. Olusegun O. Aganga
Urbane and knowledgeable but sometimes energetic in the wrong direction. How can a sensible government be planning to ban importation of cars to encourage a non-existent auto industry? Perhaps he wants to do a quick rethink before plunging the road transport sector into crisis.
Education Minister Nyesom Wike
Would serve the president better if redeployed to the Re-election Project 2015 before he does more lasting damage to the crucial education sector.
You are free to form your own impressions about the remaining ministers some of who are too new in office to be properly assessed. Also, some ministries don’t have substantive ministers. Whatever President Jonathan does in the remaining part of his tenure, he must remember the final judgement of history. To be treated kindly by history he has to dispassionately take another look at the personnel on whom he depends to translate ideas into reality. Do they fit? Or are they mere seat warmers cashing in on political IOUs? A government is as good as the sum total of its ministers’ effectiveness. The essence of leadership is service. Happy 2014 to all my readers. Wishing you a POWERful, NEPAful, PHCNful year!