Barring any last minute changes, President Muhammadu Buhari is set to release the long-awaited ministerial list within the week, possibly Wednesday; highly placed Presidential sources told BD SUNDAY.
It was gathered that the President has directed that the list be released while he is away on a working visit to France. President Buhari is billed to head to France on a three-day State Visit, tomorrow, to hold discussions with the French President, Francois Hollande, on the war against terror and bilateral ties between the two countries.
Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Yusuf Tugga and Ibrahim Gambari are some of the names of those who are said to have successfully made it to the President’s final list.
There have been different unconfirmed versions of the ministerial lists touted in the media, since the President’s 100 days in office, as many said he was in search of the “most credible or most available saints”.
The President’s body language and utterances have since indicated his preference for very credible and untainted Nigerians to hold sensitive positions of government. He has also been seen to want to distance himself from names seemingly linked to allegations of corruption, trusting more of the old hands to handle sensitive positions that
require direct interface with funds.
Most of those listed have been noticed in the corridors of power at different points in time. While it is not clear if they had been summoned by the President to a possible one on one chat, some have graced the Aso Rock more than once in a week.
Since assuming office over 100 days now, Nigerians have been counting down to the date when the President would announce his new cabinet, to set a focus for his administration. This is not without large criticisms by the opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who have continuously accused him of being confused and unprepared.
However experts have said the economy has suffered and is near standstill, with leading economic indicators slowing.
Economic rating of the President’s first 100 days in office showed that Service Sector growth declined by 2.39percent to 4.67percent, while manufacturing went down to 0.07percent.
Similarly unemployment rose by 0.7percent in the second quarter, misery index increased by 9.5percent to 35.7percent, Gross Domestic Product slowed to a now 5 year average of 3.65percent while the annual GDP growth rate was estimated at a mere 2percent, indicators analysts attributed to absence of ministers.
However the President had in July at the United States, while visiting President Barack Obama, explained that it was not prudent to form his cabinet earlier without proper checks and balances. He had for the first time said his cabinet would be named by September.
Last week the President had also while speaking at a joint press briefing in Aburi Ghana, assured Nigerians that he would announce his cabinet before the end of September. “After I was sworn-in, I said I will have my cabinet in September. I expect that Nigerians should ask me questions after the 30th of September if I do not do so,” he had said.
Elizabeth Archibong
