Alhaji Lai Mohammed: “Squatting’’ at Apo
Since assuming duty as the spokesperson of the APC-led government in
October 2015, the minister of information and culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, is
said to have attended only two official foreign trips. The first trip was the one
to Qatar when he attended the International Press Institute’s congress in March
while the second was to Cote D’voire in April where he attended the UN World
Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Commission for Africa.
But the plan by the minister to attend another important foreign trip was
hampered by lack of funds, prompting the ministry to look elsewhere for a
“bailout.’’ Lack of funds to undertake a trip for a conference on Tourism for
Development necessitated the ministry to request for a loan of N13m from an
agency under it to enable the minister and five other staff members of the
ministry to travel to China.
Although ‘belt tightening measure’ is said to be partly responsible for this,
sources at the ministry said the current economic reality facing the country
occasioned by financial stringency was the major reason for the austere
measures.
Little wonder the information minister, who was the national publicity secretary
of the APC, is said to be “squatting’’ in a residence at Apo. A source in the
ministry told Daily Trust on Sunday in confidence that although he doesn’t
know where exactly the residence is situated or the size of the apartment, the
minister himself had confirmed that he was squatting there as he does not own
the house.
Also, the information minister was said to have assumed office with three aides,
two special assistants and a personal assistant.
Daily Trust on Sunday could not confirm how many domestic staff the minister
has employed because staff members of the ministry were reluctant to speak
with our reporter because they feared they may be investigated as they have
been warned that the ministry was probing the leakage of the request of N13m
loan from the NBC on the social media.
Daily Trust on Sunday could not confirm if there was any renovation in his
office when he assumed duties, but our findings show that the minister uses
four Toyota Land cruiser SUVs and two Hilux vans in his convoy, which he
confirmed in December.
Malam Muhammed Musa Bello: Living in family house
Since his appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari as the minister of the
Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in November 2015, his conduct and operation so
far has shown a complete departure from the past. Past ministers who presided
over the FCT lived a demonstrable life of affluence.
However, due to the current economic realities, the current FCT minister is said
to be operating a system that is a complete departure from the past. This is
evidenced in his appointment of political and domestic aides, as well as the
number of cars he maintains in his convoy.
The FCT minister is said to have found it easy to adjust, given his humble
background as someone who had always lived a modest life. Unlike in the past,
when his predecessors rewarded political loyalists with bloated political and
domestic appointments, the current FCT minister is said to have only few.
According to an aide, realising the reality on the ground, coupled with the fact
that he was not as rich as some of his political counterparts before his
appointment as the FCT minister, Bello has chosen not to be influenced by his
new position.
For instance, the convoys of the past FCT ministers were always said to be
intimidating due to the retinue of cars that accompanied them to either the
office or official functions, but it was gathered that when Bello assumed office,
he insisted that there must be a departure from the past.
Also, the minster is said to have only appointed three political aides, namely,
the special assistant on media, personal assistant, and another special
assistant to aid his work. This is in addition to one domestic staff who is his
personal cook, while a few others are staff members of Park and Recreation,
who are said to be keeping the compound clean.
Professor Isaac Folorunso Adewale: No paraphernalia of office
Before his appointment as the minister of health last year, Prof. Isaac Folorunso
Adewale was the vice chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Oyo State. He lived
in Ibadan.
The professor of Gynaecology and Obstetrics relocated to Abuja after his
appointment, and now lives in a modest rented apartment in Maitama, Abuja.
Findings by our reporter showed that, as a vice chancellor, he was a civil
servant; hence he has continued to live a simple life as one without any
paraphernalia of office since assumption of office. He is always seen in his
favourite black suit and has no retinue of aides at the office.
According to sources, he has only been seen in his official car. And there are
only three cars in his convoy.
Ogbonnaya Onu: Maintains old office furniture
Since the return of democratic rule in 1999, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu had been in the
opposition until last year when the APC defeated the Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP). A former governor and now the minister of science and technology, Dr
Onu is said to have led a modest and austere life; not known to have enriched
himself while in office as governor.
The Ebonyi State-born minister only wears white and white, with an Igbo
traditional red cap every day.
When he assumed office as minister in November last year, Onu was said to
have told officials at the ministry not to bother changing any furniture, but
simply clean up the office.
His ministry is also said to be feeling the heat of the harsh economic situation,
prompting him to maintain only one official SUV car and two aides; a personal
assistant and one special adviser on media. A source close to him said he had
no domestic staff at home, except his relatives.
Since he assumed office as minister, Dr. Onu is said to have made about five
foreign trips. His first trip was to China and second to Malaysia, while the third
trip took him to Senegal; the fourth one was to China and fifth to Italy. All trips
were on official assignments.
Solomon Dalung: Lives in 2 bedroom apartment
Solomon Selcap Dalung is a lawyer by profession who hails from the town of
Sabon Gida in the present Langtang South Local Government Area of Plateau
State.
Before President Muhammadu Buhari appointed him minister of sports and he
was inaugurated on November 11, 2015, Barrister Solomon Dalong used to
dress in suit, as it is common with lawyers. But on assumption of duties,
Dalung abandoned his traditional suit wears and adopted his trademark khaki
uniform, which he explained was because of his activism and care for the
welfare of the masses.
Unlike his predecessors, Dalung jettisoned the choice of Abuja National Stadium
as his office and pitched tent at the Federal Secretariat in the Central Area for
his office. Faced with the economic reality on ground, he was said to have
decided to reduce the number of aides, preferring to have a special assistant on
media and a technical assistant.
Dalung is believed to be among Buhari’s ministers who are facing austere
times. Even the house he stays at Gwarinpa is said to have been given to him
by a close friend. Many Nigerians do not expect to see a minister of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria residing here.
When a video of the sports and youth minister patronising a local tea shop,
popularly called ‘mai shayi’ went viral on the social media, some persons were
of the opinion that the Jos-born lawyer was trying too hard to blend with the
common man, while people who know him deeply say Dalung had always been
like that, “a man of the people’’ who is not given to amassing ill-gotten wealth.
When Dalung spent two days in Kaduna for the much anticipated match
between Nigeria’s Super Eagles and the Pharaohs of Egypt in March, he was
said to have requested to stay at a very modest hotel with the Nigeria Football
Federation, a parastatal under the Ministry of Sports.
Dalung currently carries a three-car convoy: a Lexus jeep and two other cars.
Senator Aisha Alhassan: Used her money to purchase escort vehicle
Popularly known as Mama Taraba, Aisha was a senator who also sought to
become the governor of the state before her appointment into Buhari’s cabinet.
As someone given to the pomp and pageantry of office, Aisha is said to have
found a different scenario when she assumed duties at the Women Affairs
Ministry. Though faced with the unfavourable economic situation she met at the
ministry, her desire to maintain a high profile was said to have prompted her to
personally use her resources to purchase the escort vehicle on her convoy.

and yet they wail that there is no change