Shekarau, Gbemi may be named ministers next week

Former Kano State Governor Ibrahim Shekarau and a former senator, Ms. Gbemisola Saraki, are likely to be among fresh ministerial nominees whose names would be submitted to the Senate next week. President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday swore in 11 new ministers and said next week more ministers would be appointed.He did not give the fresh names, […]

Former Kano State Governor Ibrahim Shekarau and a former senator, Ms. Gbemisola Saraki, are likely to be among fresh ministerial nominees whose names would be submitted to the Senate next week.

President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday swore in 11 new ministers and said next week more ministers would be appointed.
He did not give the fresh names, but sources told Daily Trust that Shekarau would be nominated to replace Mrs Jamila Salik whose nomination last month was rescinded.
Shekarau’s coming is meant to strengthen the PDP machinery in Kano ahead of the 2015 general elections, party insiders said.
A source close to the former governor said when he defected from the APC last month, he was offered a ministerial slot and he decided to put up himself to fill in the post.
“His supporters said it is only with Shekarau as minister that PDP would be able to successfully challenge Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso in Kano,” a politician privy to the matter said.
The former governor’s supporters argue that Kwankwaso himself was able to maintain his political relevance and stage a comeback in 2011 simply because he was minister of defence in 2003-2007.
Sources in the government said Shekarau may be appointed Federal Capital Territory minister or Education Minister. The incumbent ministers holding these portfolios-Bala Mohammed from Bauchi and Nyesom Wike from Rivers- are likely to resign ahead of the general elections in which they are aspiring for governorship positions.
Sports minster fired
A source in the Presidency said Ms. Gbemisola Saraki would also be nominated from Kwara State to replace Mr. Bolaji Abdullahi who was removed yesterday.
She is a younger sister of Senator Bukola Saraki, who defected from the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) late last year.
Ms. Saraki and her brother had been political foes since the build up to the 2011 elections when they stood for elections on different party platforms. She ran for governor on the platform of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN), backed by their father Dr. Olusola Saraki.
She recently returned to the PDP, following Dr. Bukola Saraki’s defection, and has now joined hands with other defectors to face the APC-run government in the state.
Yesterday, President Jonathan, while swearing in the 11 new ministers at the State House in Abuja, replaced the Sports Minister Abdullahi with 44-year-old Tamuno Danagogo from Rivers State.
Abdullahi was not at yesterday’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, apparently having gotten wind of his removal.
At the swearing in, Jonathan was silent on Abdullahi’s fate but presidential spokesman Reuben Abati later told journalists that he was sacked.
Presidency sources told journalists that the sports minister was fired over alleged disloyalty.
The former minister demonstrated his loyalty to APC in Kwara on Monday when Jonathan visited Ilorin to receive some defectors to the PDP, a Presidency official said.
“When the president went to Ilorin for a rally to receive many defectors into PDP, Abdullahi carelessly said in a bus conveying dignitaries to the venue of the rally that he didn’t have any business to be there if not because he is from Kwara State and by reason of his position.
“Some PDP chieftains and other government officials who heard him were angry and later briefed the president. So, the president felt he had to go,” the official said, asking not to be named.
Gusau becomes Defence minister
The 11 new ministers are former National Security Adviser retired General Aliyu Gusau from Zamfara State, who is now the Defence Minister, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro from Lagos (Minister of State for Defence), former Adamawa Governor Boni Haruna (Youths Development), Ambassador Aminu Wali from Kano (Foreign Affairs), former federal lawmaker Mohammed Wakil from Borno (Minister of State for Power), Akon Eyakenyi from Akwa Ibom (Housing, Lands and Urban Development), Tamuno Danagogo from Rivers (Sports), Abduljelili Adesiyan from Osun (Police Affairs), Lawrencia Laraba Malam from Kaduna (Environment), Khaliru Alhassan from Sokoto (State for Health) and Asabe Ahmed from Niger (State for Agriculture).
Our correspondent reports that Mr Haruna and Senator Obanikoro’s portfolios came as a surprise as there were expectations for them to be posted to higher-grade ministerial positions.
Jonathan, who allowed the new ministers to attend yesterday’s FEC meeting, disclosed that he would announce a new set of ministerial nominees next week.
“I don’t intend to say much because we have another set of ministers that will come by God’s grace next week. After that, at least, we’ll have a clear discussion about how the Federal Executive Council will work for the remaining part of the tenure of this administration that is quite close, 29th of May, 2015,” he said.
Daily Trust reports that the remaining vacant ministerial slots are National Planning, Education, Aviation, Science & Technology, Niger Delta Affairs and State for Finance.
After swearing in the new ministers yesterday, Jonathan warned them against rivalry in the discharge of their duties.
He said, “There are some people when they get a place, they bring unity and ensure everybody works together for the success of their administration. But some, when they get to a place, they create divisions and all kinds of interests, and instead of ensuring that the top government functionaries work together, you see problems, and every day, you talk about solving problems.
“In fact, because of the issue of conflicts between ministers and ministers of states, we’ll also review schedule of duties in some of the ministries to make sure that we reduce these conflicts to the barest minimum.”
He added: “And of course, ministers are assigned to any responsibility not necessarily based on qualifications or what you know best, but mainly administrative offices.”
Speaking further yesterday, Jonathan said: “Public office, everybody says, is a public trust, and you’re expected to serve the people. You’re just joining and so, you must have been reading the papers, listening to the electronic media, and of course, you know the concerns of Nigerians in all aspects, and nobody is to tell you. And we’re to serve the people. So, we must listen to the people….
“But the key thing is that I believe that if you’ve been given a responsibility as a president, governor, minister, for you to serve for a period of time, if by the time you’re leaving you cannot look back and say that this is an innovation that I brought to bear based on my own creativity, I’ve been able to do things differently from what others have done and now things are being done better in my ministry or whatever office you’re holding; if you cannot say that, then you’ve failed.”