Yar’adua Set To Sack 30 Ministers

Barring last minute changes of mind, President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua ,will on Wednesday, announce the dissolution of his cabinet

Daily Champion authoritatively gathered that the sack of the ministers and special advisers would be announced after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, Wednesday.

It would be recalled that speculation about the planned cabinet reshuffle has been in the air since President Yar’Adua returned to the country from Saudi Arabia where he underwent a medical check. It was gathered more steam when the Secretary to the Government of the Federation(SGF) Amb. Babagana Kingibe, was surprisingly relieved of his appointment two weeks ago.

However an authoritative presidency source told Daily Champion weekend that the President has concluded arrangements to announce the cabinet dissolution. "Without mincing word I can tell you that this cabinet will cease to be from Wednesday this week", he said.

It was learnt that the dissolution would have taken place last week but was later shelved as a result of the sending of some ministers to represent he(Ya’Adua) at United Nation Assembly. The President was earlier billed to attend the high profile event but changed his mind at the last minute . Instead he directed the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Michael Aondoaaka and his Foreign Affairs counterpart, Chief Ojo Maduekwe to represented him .

Asked to give details of the shape the reshuffle would take the source explained that only nine of the 40 ministers are likely to be retained . He did not name the ministers that may be given a boot.

He however disclosed that the President was worried by the worsening state of the economy saying it would not be surprising if a new set of ministers are appointed for the Ministry of Finance. According to him the seeming power play between Dr Shamsudeen Usman and Remi Babalola, minister of finance and minister of state for finance is believed in the presidency to be working against the economy.

"The thinking in the presidency is that the bickering and power play between Usman and Babalola have held down government’s drive to grow the economy to an appreciable level. It is possible that the President may drop one or both of them", the source said.

He said the President is eager to change the growing perception in the country that his administration is not doing much to address major problems plaguing the country . "I can tell you that the President feels sad when people accuse him of not being able to commission a project since coming into office. He wants to bring in people who can deliver especially on the power issue.

"He is going to make sweeping changes and the new men will not be politicians."he said adding, "he will go for technocrats this time around. Although he still needs to work with politicians he will find another way of carrying many of them along in a manner that will not hurt his government"

He admitted that the ministers are jittery and have been lobbying close friends of the President especially former governor of Delta state, Chief James Ibori to make a case for them.

He said: "Yes,I can confirm that most of the ministers have been going to Ibori and all those they know are close to the President to help work for their retention .It is natural to things of that nature"


http://odili.net/news/source/2008/sep/22/222.html

He had better put round pegs in round holes.