How they fared
By Vincent Ikuomola Published Today News Rating: Unrated

Aondoakaa
•Former Minister of Special Duties, Chief Michael Kaase Aondoakaa (SAN):

He started out as Attorney-Federation and Minister of Justice, but ended up as Special Duties Minister, no thanks to the needless controversies he generated for himself.
Aondoakaa was always at the centre of controversies. He drew publice ire when he sent a Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) to take over from an Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) lawyer without due process in a motion filed by former Abia State Governor, Orji Kalu against the commission. He based his action on the prosecutorial powers he wielded to take over any matter in public interest.

Eminent personalities like the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi (SAN) called for his sack.
Aondoakaa was also criticised for the handling of former Delta State Governor, James Ibori’s trial by a London Court when he faulted the EFCC for transmitting evidence to the court without his blessing. All this is a tip of the ice-berg considering his role in President Umaru Yar’Adua’s health challenge. He told a bewildered nation that Yar’Adua could exercise executive powers from any part of the world. He was the first casualty in the power game after Dr. Goodluck Jonathan became acting president. He was sent to the Special Duties Ministry. He performed below average.

•Former Minister of Finance, Dr. Mansur Muhtar

He will be remembered for his good insight into the country’s economic challenges. Although it is believed he left the economy worse than he met it, he assumed office crying that his predecessors ruined it. Curiously, under his watch, the Naira never appreciated nor did he boost export to increase external reserves. He performed below average.

•Former Minister of State for Finance, Mr. Remi Babalola

A banker of no mean repute, Babalola will be remembered for bringing the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation’s indebtedness to the front burner. But surprisingly, he suddenly became reticent about the debts. He attributed his silence to the transition that was on-going before he blew the whistle. He was, however, quite active and contributed to economic discourse. He performed above average.

•Former Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Mrs. Diezani Alison Madueke

Initially, she was Transportation Minister. Nigeria will remember her public show of appearing in an orange overall on the dilapidated Oye-Benin Express road. She shed tears over the state of the road and raised hopes of rehabilitating it. She never did until her deployment to the Mines and Steel Development Ministry where she showed flashes of performance.
She convinced Acting President Goodluck Jonathan, who is her godfather, to approve the re-opening of Ajaokuta Steel Company and the National Iron Ore Mining Company (NIOMCO). Besides, she gave small scale miners a breather through a World Bank grant. She performed averagely.

•Former Minister of Power, Dr. Lanre Babalola

Despite his promise, Babalola could not deliver 6,000 mega watts (MW) of electricity before the expiration of the December 31, last year’s target. He rather engaged former Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Commission (NERC), Rowland Owan and the Managing Director of Rural Electrification Agency, Sam Gekpe and the former Permanent Secretary Mr. Abdullahi Suleiman in a battle of wits. He performed below average.

•Former Minister of Petroleum, Dr. Rilwanu Lukman

The old war horse will be remembered for his deregulation plan. Under his watch, fuel scarcity became recurrent. He was brought in to rejuvenate the petroleum sector but he did not achieve the mandate. He performed woefully.

•Former Minister of State Petroleum, Mr. Odein Ajumogobia (SAN)

A lawyer, Ajumogobia will be remembered for his reasons given for the need to deregulate the petroleum sector. Described as a close confidant of Acting President Goodluck Jonathan, Ajumogobia’s job is said to be intact. He performed below average.

•Former Agriculture and Water Resources, Dr. Sayyadi Abba Ruma

Ruma, who is in his late 40s, has been on the corridors of power for long. Between 1992 and 94 he served as special adviser to the then military governor of Katsina state. He also served as the Secretary to the State Government, between 2003 and 2006 before he was named minister of state, Education under former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration. Ruma is regarded as one of the closes minister to President Umoru Musa Yar’Adua. The country is yet to feel the impact of the grains said to have been released from the national reserve. The price of agricultural produce has also hit the roof. He performed averagely.

•Former Minister of Environment, Mr. John Odey

Odey set out as Minister of Information in 2007. he was deployed to the Environment Ministry in 2008.
He did not do badly in the area of climate change. His was an average performance.

•Former Minister of Works, Dr. Hassan Lawan

Arguably one of the longest serving ministers, Lawan was in charge of labour ministry under Obasanjo between 2003 and 2007. He continued in that ministry in the first two years of the Yar’Adua administration before being made Minister of Works. He supervised the Ministry of Health after the removal of its two ministers. He was made Minister of Works in December, 2008. The roads have not been any better under his watch despite huge allocations. He scored below average.

•Former Minister of Interior, Dr. Shettima Mustafa

Twenty years ago, Mustafa served as Minister of Agriculture and people expected that he would be deployed to this familiar terrain under President Yar’Adua. He was at the Defence Ministry before he was moved by Yar’Adua to Interior Ministry in 2008 cabinet shakeup. He proved critics wrong with his performance. He performed averagely.

•Former Minister of State, Interior, Chief Ademola Seriki

Fondly described as “Lagos Boy”, Seriki has been a vibrant person right from the Defence Ministry where he started out with Mustafa. But he was not associated with any meaningful or revelationary policy. He was only enjoying himself. A worthy epithet will read like this: “A Lagos boy passed through the defence and Interior Ministries”. He performed below average.

•Former Minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Senator Jibrin Bello Gada

Senator Gada was said to have been praying to leave the ministry as many of his staff described his stay as unfavourable. He was said to have disliked the ministry and was only marking time. Not much was known about his tenure as he was clearly outshone by the Director-General, Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Otunba Segun Runsewe. Performance: Below average.



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