It’s exactly 70 days today that President Yar’Adua travelled to Saudi Arabia for medical treatment. His failure to write a letter to the National Assembly has created a power vacuum – but how well have his ministers discharged their normal duties in his absence? Sometime last year, it was announced after a cabinet meeting that the President had given every minister power and resources to run with and they would be held responsible for the failures and successes of their ministries. Are they living up to expectations?


Mike Aondoakaa Attorney-General and Minister of Justice

He would probably qualify as the most active of all the ministers as he has been in and out of the court over the constitutionality of the President’s prolonged absence without properly handing over to the Vice-President. But other matters of judicial reforms are still pending though as the minister focuses on politics.
Verdict: Active on Yar’Adua.


ODEIN
AJUMOGOBIA
Min. of State for Petroleum Resources

The deregulation policy of the Federal Government has taken a backstage. There seems to be confusion on the way forward.
Fuel crisis has become hopelessly intractable in the last two months. Expired oil licences have not been renewed, raising legal issues as well as causing economic losses.
Verdict: Active on PIB; confused on deregulation.


Lanre Babalola
Min. of Power

Power supply slightly improved in December 2009, although the government could not meet the 6000 megawatts target. However, the trend has been downward since the beginning of the year. Gas has remained the problem but Nigerians are tired of excuses. Also, the privatisation of power sector seems to be heading nowhere.
Verdict: Below par

Dora Akunyili Min. of Information

The AbdulMutallab failed jet-bombing case has been the biggest test of her abilities. She was proactive and spoke quite forcefully in presenting Nigeria’s position to the world after the blacklisting by US. However, she has hardly provided any information on Yar’Adua, although it is obviously not her fault since no information is available at all.
Verdict: Active on terrorism; confused on Yar’Adua.


Ojo Maduekwe
Min. of Foreign Affairs

The veteran minister has been up and doing since the President left the country. He liaised with the US authorities in the wake of AbdulMutallab’s failed suicide bombing. His appearance on BBC’s Hardtalk has been criticised, he has managed to make himself heard. Also, the Senate has cleared Nigeria’s ambassadorial nominee to the US, Professor Adefuye.
Verdict: Active

Diezani allison-madueke
Min. of Mines & Steel Development

The minister has not relented in her efforts to attract investment into the largely untapped mines sector. She has organised road shows and embarked on awareness campaigns. She has also been pursuing her plan of generating electricity using coal, but no significant results have been recorded yet in that area.
Verdict: On the road

Sam Egwu
Min. of Education

Egwu and Aishatu Dukku, the Minister of State, will tomorrow host an inter-ministerial conference on their activities so far and future plans. The implementation of the 'Roadmap for the Education Sector' has commenced. Egwu has inaugurated the Public Private Partnership Steering Committee for e-learning & National Advisory Committee on Open and Distance Learning, which are components of the roadmap. For greater efficiency, he approved a number of transfers in the ministry.
Verdict: Active on reform.


Godwin Abbe
Min. of Defence

Abbe is also the Chairman, Presidential Committee on the Implementation of the Amnesty Programme. Many believe that since the President travelled, the implementation of the amnesty programme, particularly the rehabilitation or reintegration of the repentant militants, has been down. This has sparked off unease within the rank of the ex-militants. There are fresh fears of a possible resurgence of hostilities in the Niger Delta.
Verdict: Confused on amnesty; active on keeping military out of politics.

Rilwanu Lukman
Min. of Petroleum Resources

Lukman said recently that government was not ready for full deregulation yet because the right enabling environment had not been fully put in place. But it is believed that because of the absence of the President, nobody wants to take politically sensitive decisions. But the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) is being pursued with vigour at the National Assembly. The minister hugged the wrong headline last December when he travelled out of the country despite the crippling fuel crisis.
Verdict: Active on PIB; inactive on deregulation.

Mansur Muhtar
Min. of Finance

It is perhaps in the area of the economy that the President's absence is mostly felt because of the seeming credit squeeze in the country. Yar'Adua reportedly signed the Supplementary Budget on his sick bed and there appears to be an understanding between the Executive and Legislature extending the lifespan of the 2009 budget since the 2010 budget is not ready yet. Muhtar is, however, about to inaugurate the Tax Appeal Tribunals.
Verdict: Could do better on reflating economy.


Adamu Aliero
Minister, FCT

Another minister believed to be close to Yar'Adua is the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Senator Adamu Aliero. His name has been touted as a likely vice-presidential candidate in the event that Jonathan steps in as president if Yar'Adua can't continue in office on account of his health. Aliero has stepped the tempo of work in the ministry lately with the intensified cleaning up of the city. All projects approved by the cabinet are being executed. Just last week, a Chinese company was given the approval to build 5000 housing units.
Verdict: Active on projects.


Babatunde Omotoba
Min. of Aviation

The biggest challenge so far is the AbdulMutallab case. The way the aviation parastatals responded has been well commended. The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority promptly responded and provided all the travel details of the suspect in such intensity that impressed US authorities who probably thought Nigeria does not operate such an advanced system. The ministry has also acquired some modern equipment to improve security at the airports. Improvement works are also going on at many airports.
Verdict: Active on airport security and rehabilitation.


Abba Ruma
Min. of Agriculture and Water Resources

The Minister of Agric, Ruma, who is also a close associate of President Yar'Adua, has launched his Commercial Agriculture Development Programme (CADP) which he says is targeted at taking agriculture to the market place and making it profitable for the farmers. The ministry is building agro input centres and silos all over the country. The Commodity Outgrower Development and Extension-Service Centres, Ruma said, will support 19 million farming families in 20 centres all over the country.
Verdict: Divided attention.


Adetokunbo Kayode Min. of Labour

There has not been any serious industrial crisis since November last year. But Kayode as Labour Minister came to mind during the recent ding-dong between Organised Labour and government over whether or not all the stakeholders have agreed on the implementation of the full deregulation of the downstream oil sector. He is also at the forefront of the move to stop banks from retrenching workers in the wake of the banking reforms.
Verdict: Where are the jobs?

If i may ask you: what are the parameters you use in measuring their reformance? They are all failures if you ask me since they cannot ask jonathan to step in as president. Do you know the level of looting that is going on presently in the presidency?

Infected ministers!
Dying president!!
Dead country!!!