After what some Nigerians, especially the ardent critics of the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led federal government saw as several months of waiting, President Muhammadu Buhari inaugurated his cabinet last Wednesday. As expected, different portfolios were assigned to different ministers. It is also widely believed that the new ministers, at least majority of them, have daunting challenges ahead of them as they set to drive the change agenda of the present government.


Adamu Adamu (Education)
On Wednesday, Mallam Adamu Adamu was sworn in as the Minister of Education. It came as a surprise to many Nigerians, considering that he got the education portfolio ahead of four professors in the new cabinet. Ironically, an accomplished Professor of Education, Anthony Anwuka, is placed under Adamu as Minister of State for Education.
Mallam Adamu, who hails from Bauchi State, read Accountancy at the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria. He has, however, carved a niche for himself in journalism, being a renowned columnist in the Daily Trust newspapers. He is also a public affairs analyst.
As a social critic, Adamu will no doubt be put under scrutiny as he battles to fix the battered educational sector. Staring starkly in his face is the falling standard of education in the country. There is the herculean task of fixing the dilapidated infrastructure at all tiers of the education sector, starting from the ivory towers, down to the primary schools. He is also expected to find a lasting solution to the knotty issue of incessant strikes by lecturers. This is even as the proliferation of private schools, which has contributed to the falling standard of education in the country, confronts him. In all, he is expected to improve the standard of education in the country.

Ibe Kachikwu (Petroleum)
Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu resumes as Minister of State in the Ministry of Petroleum at a time the oil sector is grappling with falling oil prices, compounded by domestic mismanagement. Although President Muhammadu Buhari has announced himself as the substantive Minister of Petroleum, much of the work, it is believed, rests on Kachikwu.
Before he was called to serve in the Buhari government, Kachikwu was the General Counsel/Legal Adviser, Texaco Nigeria and Texaco Overseas Petroleum Company, General Counsel/Secretary, Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited for many years.
On August 4, the First Class graduate of Law from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) and the Nigerian Law School, was appointed the Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). He also holds master’s and doctorate degrees in Law from the Harvard Law School. Kachikwu’s task is made more difficult because he is expected to combine the duties of a minister and those of the GMD, at least for the time being. His first major challenge will be how to rework the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), as well as find a lasting solution to the nation’s ailing refineries. How to do away with petroleum subsidy as soon as possible is another great challenge.

Abubakar Malami (Justice)
Abubakar Malami is the new Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF).
Corruption in the justice system, low morale of law officers in the Federal Ministry of Justice (they went on strike early in the year to press for better condition of service), coordinating all the agencies under the Ministry of Justice, are some of the challenges he will face.
Malami is expected to create an open door policy and the culture of collective responsibility, as well as make welfare a priority so that every staff in the ministry would look inwards. He is also expected to entrench the culture of professional hierarchy.

Alhaji Mohammed Bello (FCT)
The 16th minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Alhaji Mohammed Bello, assumed office on Wednesday after the inauguration of the new cabinet. He was received by the new Permanent Secretary, Dr. Babatope Ajakaiye, the Executive Secretary, Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Engr. Ismaila Adamu and directors of the FCT administration.
Bello, who is a product of the Barewa College, Zaria, and a former executive secretary of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), will face daunting challenges in the FCT. Some of the challenges include the resettlement of original inhabitants, land racketeering, traffic congestion, violation of the Abuja master plan and infrastructural deficit.
In addition to social problems like banditry, especially in the satellite towns, general insecurity, hawking and begging in the city centre, the new minister, who has spent greater part of his career as a banker, would have to review projects initiated by previous administrations but left uncompleted. Such projects include the Abuja Millennium Tower, the Abuja light rail project, Abuja Downtown project etc.

Muhammad Dan Ali (Defence)
Brigadier-General Muhammad Mansur Dan-Ali (retired), who was born on August 25, 1959 at Birnin-Magaji, Zamfara State, to the late Alhaji Mohammad Mode Dan-Ali (the first Emir of Birnin-Magaji), is the new Minister of Defence. He has master’s degrees in Public Policy and Administration from Bayero University, Kano, and Security Studies from the Bangladesh University of Professionals.
In the forefront of the challenges facing the new Minister Dan Ali is terrorism. His first major duty, it appears, will be how to meet the presidential December deadline on insurgency in the country. Another pressing challenge is the contentious relationship between the ministry and the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA). In recent times, the relationship between the mandate of the Ministry of Defence and the NSA became increasingly blurred. This situation created a tense relationship between the former Minister of Defence, General Aliu Gusau (retired) and Sambo Dasuki, Daily Trust on Sunday gathered.
Another knotty issue for the new Minister of Defence is training for armed forces personnel. The counter terrorism efforts of the military have shown the need to train the military on asymmetrical warfare, security experts stated. Also, the issue of equipping the military is a major problem. Sources in the military said the military was ill-equipped; hence it is a big challenge before the minister. Welfare, especially in terms of housing and upgrade of medical facilities for officers and men cannot be ignored.


Babatunde Fashola (Power, Works and Housing)
Like other new ministers, Babatunde Fashola, the immediate past governor of Lagos State, assumed office last Wednesday in the now three-in-one Ministry of Power, Works and Housing (PWH). It appears he is ready to face the somewhat herculean tasks ahead, especially in the power sector. He is a Senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN).
Before he became governor of Lagos State, Fashola had served in various capacities in the state thus: chief of staff to former governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu; secretary, Sub-committee on Lands of the Transitional Work Groups; member, Panel of Enquiry into the allocation of houses on the Mobolaji Johnson Housing Scheme at Lekki; member, State Tenders Board; member, Lagos State Executive Council; member of the State Security Council; member, State Treasury Board; and chairman, Ad-hoc Committee on the Review of Asset Distribution among local governments.
One of the major challenges that will confront the new minister is how to increase the megawatts of electricity. Currently, Nigeria targets 5,000megawatts by December 2015 and 6,000megawatts by January 2016. Fashola is expected to ensure that this target and more are achieved and the impact of improved electricity felt nationwide. This is even as electricity consumers await another increment of tariff after December this year. Also, the 10 plants of the National Integrated Power Projects (NIPPs), 700mw Zungeru hydropower, 3050mw Mambilla dam, 40mw Gurara power, 215mw Kaduna thermal plant and the 10mw Katsina wind farm are some of the projects demanding his urgent attention.


Kemi Adeosun (Finance)
The appointment of Mrs. Kemi Adeosun as the new Minister of Finance means many things to many people. To some, the ministry is too big for her qualifications and experience. In some quarters, it is believed that the last minister, Dr Ngozi Okonwjo-Iweala left a very big shoe that may be difficult for the new minister to fill.
Adeosun, who has a degree in Applied Economics, served as a senior manager, Price Waterhouse Coopers, Chapelhill Denham, and of recent, Commissioner for Finance in Ogun State.
The new minister is faced with the challenge of formulating policies that would turn the country’s economy around and attract investors. It is also expected that she would implement strategies to improve Internally Generated Revenues (IGR), identify sources of revenue leakages and plug them, as well as attract Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) to create employment. She will also devise a positive means of halting depletion in external reserves and promote local production of essential items. However, her stand on some of the economic policies of the present administration did not go down well with some foreign investors. All eyes are on Minister Adeosun.

http://dailytrust.com.ng/news/general/the-headaches-of-buhari-s-ministers/119437.html

That's right. They have a huge task ahead of them. They need our support and prayers.

The biggest challenge ahead of them is how to serve us Nigerians without embezzling our money. Period!

What a task indeed.
The only 2 minister i doubt their capability are
1) Chris Ngige
2) Adebayo Shittu.
I just hope both of them will dissappoint me and the remaining i have believe in would not dissappoint me.








GBN

If they succeed,d better for all.let us therefore pray fr their success irrespective of party affiliations.

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