The Nigerian Senate promised that week that it will today start the screening those on the preliminary list of ministers sent to it by President Bola Tinubu. Only very few of the prospective ministers are unknown. Many of them have been this or that in Nigeria’s political system at different levels.
I have always wondered why certain categories of politicians recycle themselves just to be in the system and be ‘Government Pikin’ all their life. Such people do not know what it is to be involved in other endeavours, apart from political positions. Some may not have entered the system from early life but once they taste office, they want to be there forever. Some have been in public office all their life, at least as long as they attained adulthood, so they know nothing else apart from appointment into public office from Local Government, State to Federal; and some even graduate to the international system and be made ambassadors, only to return and even become Special Assistant on something to somebody.
When the ministers’ list was released last week, a Twitter user asked a question: ‘What are David Umahi, Nyesom Wike, Badaru Abubakar, Nasir El-Rufai doing on the list? ……Can’t they nominate people for the ministerial post?’ Serious questions indeed.
Why do ex-governors want to become ministers when they have occupied the seat of power in a much larger constituency? From the Nigerian Public Officers Order of Precedence, such governors are taking a drop in their previous positions? In the case of Ex Governors Wike and El-Rufai, they were even ministers in a previous dispensation before becoming governors and now they are back to ministers?
The top 13 positions in Nigeria’s Order of Precedence are:
- President
- Vice President
- Senate President
- Speaker of House of Reps
- Chief Justice of Nigeria
- Former Presidents
- Former Vice President
- Deputy Senate President
- Deputy Speaker of House of Reps
- Senators & House of Reps Members
- State Governors
- President Court of Appeal and Justice of Supreme Court
- Ministers of cabinet rank
Note that senators are higher on the list than ministers. Yet Nigerian senators also hustle to become ministers.
Why? Obviously because of executive powers which Ministers have at the behest of the President.
But why not yield such spots to your nominee?
The full list and the states they represent are:
- Akwa Ibom: Ekperikpe Ekpo
- Cross river: Betta Edu
- Cross river: John Enoh
- Delta: Stella Okotete
- Edo: Abubakar Momoh
- Rivers: Nyesom Wike
- Bauchi: Yusuf M Tuggar
- Bauchi: Ali Pate
- Borno: Abubakar Kyari
- Taraba: Sani A Danladi
- Jigawa: Mohamed Badaru
- Kaduna: Nasir El-Rufai
- Katsina: Ahmad Dangiwa
- Katsina: Hanatu Musawa
- Sokoto: Bello M. Goronyo
- Abia: Nkiru Onyejiocha
- Anambra: Uju Ohaneye
- Ebonyi: David Umahi
- Enugu: Uche Nnaji
- Imo: Doris Uzoka
- Ekiti: Dele Alake
- Ondo: Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo
- Ogun: Olawale Edun
- Oyo: Adebayo Adelabu
- Benue: Joseph Utsev
- Kwara: Lateef Fagbemi
- Nasarawa: Imaan S-Ibrahim
- Niger: Mohammed Idris
The 28-member list has 7 women – Mrs. Iman Suleiman Ibrahim, Barr. Hannatu Musawa, Dr. Berta Edu, Dr. Doris Aniche Uzoka, Hon. Stella Okotete, Hon. Uju Kennedy Ohaneye and Hon. Nkiru Onyeojiocha. Is this number of women a plus or minus for gender balancing? I am sure those pushing for affirmative active will have their say eventually.
11 states yet to fill their slots. What is sure too, is that several ‘Government Pikins’ will be beneficiaries of some of the remaining slots. Such men and women don’t just know any other business but public office or political positions.
As the Senate begin their screening, will it really be screening? Or another case of ‘Take a bow and go?’
