The President Muhammadu Buhari led government is now set to fully take off, as senate President, Bukola Saraki submits the list of confirmed ministers to the President.
Without the cabinet, government has been running without a clear direction even as Nigerians continue to clamour for the take off of the cabinet which would position the nation’s economy. The inauguration of the cabinet is now expected to follow, even as Presidency sources reveal that the minsters may have been scheduled to hold a retreat before resuming office.
This is even as President Buhari reiterated his determination to tighten government spending in the face of financial crisis by ensuring that not all 36 confirmed ministers would have portfolios.
The Senate completed the screening and confirmation of the 36 ministerial nominees last week Wednesday and Nigerians have continued to look out for the inauguration of the new cabinet.
Senate President, Tuesday, in a third appearance at the Presidential Villa, personally submitted the list to the President in a brief session open to the press. This is a departure from what obtained in the previous administration where the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly matters was in charge of all correspondents between the President and the Senate.
Saraki submitted a list of 18 ministers to the President, confirming that an earlier 18 had already been submitted. The SSA National Assembly matters, Ita Enang, was earlier sighted at the Presidential Villa and returned an hour later in the company of the senate president.
Receiving the list from the senate president, President Buhari reiterated his earlier stand of not allotting portfolios to all the ministers, because of the economic implication.
According to him, the constitution certainly said there must be one member of the cabinet from all the states but the constitution did not say he must have 36 ministries.
“I will explain the details. Because of the economic imperative, to have a lot of ministers, substantive ministers” he said adding that he said since taking over government he had noted that the country was financially battered.
Referring to criticisms that had trailed his statements while in India on the true state of the Nigerian economy, he said though accused of giving bad publicity and scaring away investors from the country, investors knew better.
“Any investor who is interested in investing in Nigeria will seem to know more about the economy more than ourselves. So when I come and tell the truth about the position of the economy of the country, I am going out looking for investors.
“But I am confirming to them that we are truthful, that we need them to come and help us help ourselves by getting in industries, manufacturing and services.
“They know our needs. The economy of human resources, I believe will make them eventually come and help us” he said.
Fielding questions form journalists after a closed door meeting with the President saraki told journalists that the calibre of the nominees made it easy for senate to screen and confirm them, though there were intrigues of politic involved in the case of some. “You noticed that in some cases we delayed the number of one or two, it is all part of politics, of behind the scene, but at the end of the day we finished with them, that is all about give and take and eventually I am happy with what the senators have done” he said adding that now the platform
has been laid for the government to fully take off.
On the Concern of possible ministers without portfolio, the senate President said it was nothing new, as the others can be ministers of states. The key issue, he said is being in the cabinet and a part of government. He noted that the country had more pressing issues like that of revenue drop and the challenges of trying to boost revenue and create jobs adding that the President would make the right call. On Why he brought the letter personally to the President, he said he had other issues to discuss with the President. He said the issue of his
trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal did not come up.
Elizabeth Archibong
