What do these ministries do anyway?

Introducing the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources: Considering the fact, that there is no steel production in Nigeria or the fact that none of our steel rolling mills are… rolling, the Ministry of Mines and Steel becomes questionable. No doubt we have mineral resources that need mining, but when last did that happen? To […]

Introducing the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources: Considering the fact, that there is no steel production in Nigeria or the fact that none of our steel rolling mills are… rolling, the Ministry of Mines and Steel becomes questionable. No doubt we have mineral resources that need mining, but when last did that happen? To be fair to the present minister, she has tried her best. This, of course, is to the best of my knowledge. My advice would be to merge the Ministry of Mines with that of Petroleum and leave the steel part out of it, thus creating the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources. As for steel development in Nigeria, until we are sure the mills will be running and our money not spent on nothing, there’s no point pursuing it.

Introducing the Ministry of Power and Industry: Since industries run on electricity, shouldn’t the ministries of power and industry be merged? As for the commerce part, which is presently attached to industry, it can stand as a ministry on its own. Let the Ministry of Commerce deal with the administrative bit, while the Ministry of Power and Industry deals with the actual movement of businesses i.e. power.

Introducing the Ministry of Higher Education: Are you a parent or student frustrated with ASUU and the FG’s ongoing battle? Would you like to see a Ministry that tackles the issues head-on or at least try? Then you should wish to see a Ministry of Higher Education emerge. The Ministry of Higher Education would be a make or break for ASUU, in the sense that either they join the ministry or the ministry produces its own lecturers to be paid by the FG, whenever ASUU decides to go on strike. This is an all out war. The most important thing a nation needs is being destroyed by a feuding organization and a non-moving government. If I seem harsh, well it’s because I’ve been a victim of ASUU and its ongoing strikes. So you understand how I feel, abi?

Ministries we could do without: This is quite simple. Rather than have these as ministries, they would have been better off as departments under the Ministry of Interior. I am referring to the Ministries of the Niger Delta, Police Affairs (because clearly not much has changed in the police department, though I will admit the police I’ve met recently have been more upbeat, but still) and that of Special Duties (how many times do we do anything special, at least for the masses anyway). All the above named ministries really should be departments and not full blown ministries.

Abdulnasir Imam, Wuse Zone 5, Abuja. [email protected]