Ministerial list: Buhari makes last minute submission to Saraki
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NIGERIA: AT last, President Muhammadu Buhari has submitted the list of his ministerial nominees to the Senate at the time the Upper Chamber had embarked on recess on Wednesday – the last day of the month of September.
The President, during his visit to US on July 20, had told Washington Post that he would name his ministers in September, saying that he was not in a hurry to appoint his cabinet members.
In a reply to the US based newspaper on his proposed talks with President Barack Obama, the President said: “So, too, will I discuss why the formation of my administration is taking time and, crucially, why it must.
“Already there are voices saying these changes are taking too long — even though only six weeks have passed since my inauguration. I hear such calls, but this task cannot and should not be rushed.”
He added: “When cabinet ministers are appointed in September, it will be some months after I took the oath of office. It is worth noting that Obama himself did not have his full Cabinet in place for several months after first taking office; the United States did not cease to function in the interim.
“In Nigeria’s case, it would neither be prudent nor serve the interests of sound government to have made these appointments immediately on my elevation to the presidency; instead, Nigeria must first put new rules of conduct and good governance in place.”
Shortly after, while appearing on Good morning Nigeria, a personality interview session on the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), the President said that his administration would comprise of technocrats and politicians who are “decent people” in September.
His words: “We have to look for technocrats and we have to look for politicians and certainly we have to look for decent people in this class to give them the responsibility of being in charge of ministries and important parastatals.”
The President added that his government would eschew “appointing hostages.”
He explained this, saying: “By this, I mean people who have been in the system but compromised their personal and professional integrity.”
“It is taking so much time because a number of knowledgeable people have been compromised,” the President maintained.
According to him, those who would work with him shall be patriotic, decent and possesses the required experience.
“From what I have seen so far, we need really patriotic Nigerians,” Buhari said, adding: “Those that can work very hard, knowledgeable, experienced and committed Nigerians, to be in charge of ministries.”
But as at the close of plenary on Tuesday, the Senate said it had not received the expected list from the president, who just returned on Tuesday after his trip to New York where he attended the 70th session of the UN General Assembly.
As at the close of legislative business on Wednesday, contrary to expectation, the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, did not read any letter from the President forwarding the names of the would-be ministers.
Responding to the development, the Chairman, Senate Ad-hoc Committee on Information, Senator Dino Melaye, confirmed that the President was yet to send the list to the lawmakers who are expected to screen the nominees and approve their candidature.
The Upper Chamber spokesman assured that whenever received, the Senators would attend to the list with proper screening and the urgency required, apparently referring to the dealy since President Buhari took oath of office on May 29, 2015.
But by late Wednesday, the duo of the Chief of Staff to Mr. President, Abba Kyari, and the Special Adviser to Mr. President on National Assembly (Senate,) Senator Ita Enang, submitted the ministerial list to Saraki.
Saraki, however, on his tweeter account, and his Facebook, confirmed the receipt of the list.
He said: “About an hour ago, I received the list of President Muhammadu Buhari’s ministerial nominees from the Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, and Special Adviser to Mr. President on National Assembly (Senate), Sen. Ita Enang.”
Saraki also tweeted: “I can now confirm that I just received #Thelist of Ministerial nominees,” while earlier he had tweeted: “As at 4pm Senate is yet to receive #TheList. Once it is received, SP @bukolasaraki has assured Senate will follow due process in screening.”
The list may not be made known by Saraki, as the Senators who had earlier in the day embarked on recess to observe Independence Day, would not resume until Tuesday, next week.
