Source: Nigerian Tribune
15/02/2010

Contrary to what obtained during the Umaru Yar’Adua-led government where all first class ministries and parastatal agencies were headed by people from the North, particularly Kano and Katsina states, the new cabinet to be formed is expected to have a national outlook.

In fact, sources said that the visit of former President Olusegun Obasanjo to Acting President Goodluck Jonathan last week was to advise him to ensure national balance in the new cabinet so as to enjoy acceptability.

Though sources said that based on the advice of Chief Obasanjo and South-South leader, Chief Edwin Clark, who is said to be playing a major role in the Jonathan presidency, ministers have begun to visit him (Clark) to curry favour, as he is now seen as godfather to the acting president.

Ministers from the South-South who were said to have disrespected Jonathan as vice-president or treated him with disdain, have now started finding ways to ask for his forgiveness.

The case of two ministers, one of them from the South-West, who was said to have clashed with Jonathan over a presidential committee when he was the vice-president, was mentioned.

The other minister, who sources said, disrespected the then vice-president, will now have his ministry manned by a technocrat.

Another basis for the cabinet reshuffle, according to sources, will be performance. This is said to affect majority of the ministers. It was gathered that the performances of most of them were suspect.

The majority of ministers from the South-South, according to Nigerian Tribune sources were said to be guilty of this. They were by-passing Jonathan and going to the president, even over mundane issues.

All of them, it was gathered, were now jittery and looking for ways to make amends.

Some other ministers who are likely to make the new list, Nigerian Tribune learnt, are those who Jonathan, as vice-president, had assessed.

It was also gathered that the event that led to the emergence of Jonathan as the acting president had given him the opportunity to know the ministers better.

All these factors, it was said, would be taken into consideration before a new cabinet is formed.

Meanwhile, the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP), on Sunday, alleged that former President Obasanjo, was meddling in the affairs of Acting President Jonathan and by extension, attempting a third term through the back door.

The group said it could not understand what the ex-president left in the State House after ruling for eight years that he wanted to pick up by his recent visit to the acting president.

In a statement signed by its national publicity secretary, Osita Okechukwu, a copy of which was made available to the Nigerian Tribune in Abuja, the CNPP noted that Chief Obasanjo’s alleged nocturnal visit was neither in the interest of the nation nor in the interest of the acting president and urged him to stay away from the present government.

The group alleged that Chief Obasanjo contributed to the controversial 2007 elections and denied Nigerians the opportunity to elect a president of their choice.

The CNPP stated: “We are tempted to ask, what has Chief Obasanjo left in the State House, Aso Villa, after eight years of misrule that he wants to pick up now?

“For the avoidance of doubt, Chief Obasanjo’s nocturnal visit is neither in the interest of the nation nor in the interest of the Acting President; consequently, we strongly plead with him to stay away. He cannot recover the third term; it is gone forever.

“It will be recalled that Chief Obasanjo contributed generously through the sham 2007 elections he simulated to the recent political impasse. He denied Nigerians the opportunity to elect a president of their choice; which from all indications led to the 79 days power-vacuum-induced constitutional crisis.

“CNPP is worried that Chief Obasanjo, if allowed to meddle in the Jonathan presidency, might halt genuine electoral reform, the Niger Delta post-amnesty programme and revamping of infrastructure that collapsed under Obasanjo.

“Now that we are out of the woods, or so it seems, we reason that what Nigerians do not need at this point in time, is the leprous fingers of Chief Obasanjo to pollute the subsisting fragile peace of the graveyard. He should, therefore, be barred from Aguda Lodge so that our acting president can take his decisions independently,” the group added.

The CNPP, thereafter, renewed its earlier call on Acting President, Jonathan to reconstitute the Executive Council of the federation in view of the loss of credibility of some of its members, particularly those who tried to subvert the constitution in the recent succession stalemate.

CNPP Secretary General, Chief Willy Ezugwu, in a statement, noted that the removal of Mr Michael Aondoakaa as Minister of Justice was a positive development but argued that better results would be achieved if Aondoakaa and his likes were completely and immediately sent packing from the cabinet.

He said ministers who “fooled” Nigerians for a while had serious credibility issues with Nigerians and they could no longer be trusted to deliver on governance.

He said the only way out was for the acting president to dissolve the cabinet and get credible Nigerians on board to work with him now that he had the full powers of the president.

Let d cabinet be disolved immediately,there is no time to waste. They should be persecuted afterwards. Efcc woman should also be sent parking while a more aggresive and competent person takes over. If it will be possible, we might need to bring in well trained SSS, or FBI from USA to do the job. Excuse me pass jare.

I like the advice of national reflection and assessing the ministers that are performing and get rid of those that are not.
Kudos to the Acting President, but he is running out of time to make some impact on the economy.

Good development.