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Ministerial nominees: Why Buhari dropped Dambazau, Kachikwu, Anwukah, others - Politics (2) - Nairaland

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Re: Ministerial nominees: Why Buhari dropped Dambazau, Kachikwu, Anwukah, others by nairamarley999: 8:52pm On Jul 28, 2019
0. Elchicolo: Quote Post

After 54 days of suspense, President Muhammadu Buhari last Tuesday released the names of 43 ministerial nominees that were forwarded to the National Assembly for clearance; as he tries to cobble his cabinet for his second and final term.

The list, which has elicited divergent reactions, has 14 ministers that were retained; while 19 were replaced. The list is also the highest since Nigeria returned to democratic rule in 1999.

Those dropped included: Ex-minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau; Solomon Dalung (Sports); Adebayo Shittu (Communications); Suleiman Adamu (Water Resources); Ibe Kachikwu (Petroleum); Audu Ogbeh (Agriculture); Udo Udoma (Budget and National Planning); Ibrahim Usman Jibril (Environment); Khadija Bukar Ibrahim (ex-state minister, Foreign Affairs); Cladius Omoleye Daramola (ex-minister of state for Niger Delta); Prof Anthony Anwukah (ex-minister of state for Education); Aisha Alhassan (Women Affairs); Dan Ali (Defence); Okechukwu Enelamah (Trade, Investment and Industry); Aisha Abubakar (ex-minister of state, Trade and Investment); Heineken Lokpobiri (ex-minister of State for Agriculture); Isaac Adewole (Health); Abubakar Bawa Bwari (ex-minister of state for Solid Minerals); Usani Uguru; ex-minister of Niger Delta.



Kachikwu: Of all the 19 ministers that were dropped, the erstwhile Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu was the most anticipated because he had periodic squabbles with then Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr Maikanti Baru, a matter that snowballed into a protracted crisis of confidence.

On October 3, 2017, a lengthy letter dated August 30, 2017 and written by Kachikwu to President Buhari leaked to the public.

In the four-page letter, the former Petroleum Minister accused the former NNPC GMD of awarding $25billion contracts without consulting either his office or the NNPC board.

He further accused Baru of alleged insubordination, lack of adherence to due process and running a “bravado management style” that was capable of dwarfing the growth of the sector.

The matter, according to industry watchers, angered Baru’s backers believed to be influential politicians within the Presidency.

They considered Kachikwu’s letter an affront and swore not to see him return, despite the array of legendary projects he was supervising.

According to a top civil servant who craved anonymity, “since Kachikwu accused Baru of sidelining him, the power brokers ensured he remained sidelined till the end of the first tenure of President Buhari. They also ensured he never saw Buhari or succeeded in lobbying his way back a second time”.

Another ‘sin’ of Kachikwu was what was seen as his initial reluctance to aggressively resume oil exploration in the North as directed by Buhari in 2016.

He is also believed to be the sacrificial lamb in a power play between his backer, Theophilus Danjuma and the presidency over the blame game on rising insurgency.

Kachikwu was replaced with Festus Keyamo (Delta State), who was the Spokesman of the President Buhari Campaign Council for the 2019 election.



Usani: For the former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Usani Uguru Usani, his hopes of returning to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) were dashed because he was defeated in the intrigues of power play by Goddy Jeddy Agba who clinched the Cross Rivers State ministerial slot.

Sources at the presidency revealed that Usani’s first outing as a Minister was so tumultuous that three Permanent Secretaries served under him.

Sources confided in Sunday Sun that in his home state, Usani horribly divided and weakened the All Progressive Congress (APC) such that it was impossible to have a cohesive and formidable front. The development was linked to the loss of the party at the gubernatorial election.

He was also accused of causing some upsets at the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs. But a source in the ministry who spoke anonymously said that there was nothing unusual about having three Permanent Secretaries working under Usani.

“It was just a normal routine thing. Even the one that retired yesterday (Tuesday) attained the age of 60. So, there was nothing weird about it,” the source said.



Anwukah: In the case of the former Minister of State, Education, Prof. Anthony Anwukah, his non-return did not come as a surprise to the staff of the Federal Ministry of Education.

They attributed it to his poor performance and abrasive human relations; even with his personal staff.

In addition, many said he did not have a cordial working relationship with his superior, Mallam Adamu Adamu, who, unlike Anwukah enjoyed presidential patronage.

Anwukah, it was further gathered found it uncomfortable working with Adamu Adamu, who he feels possesses lower academic qualifications than himself.

Many believe that mindset gave rise to the power tussle that occurred in 2015 when they assumed office.

Adamu, apparently enjoying robust support from the presidential villa, frustrated Anwukah to the point that he threatened to resign. There were claims that Adamu took over the supervision of agencies and parastatals hitherto supervised by the minister of state.

According to analysts, the action made Anwukah redundant with little or no influence on the activities of the ministry. It was also gathered that Adamu appointed heads of agencies without Anwukah’s knowledge nor contributions.



Adewole: With regards to Prof. Isaac Adewole, the former Minister of Health, many expressed shock that he was not reappointed by President Buhari because the permutation was that he championed great reforms that should have guaranteed him a reappointment.

With his name not on the list, industry pundits are of the opinion that his running battle with Joint Health Workers Union (JOHESU) over welfare, remuneration and condition of service may have blighted his chances.

Nonetheless, it is on record that he championed the implementation of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) policy with has great impact on basic health care services.

Some officials of the ministry who pleaded anonymity said his inability to work closely with his then Minister of State, Dr. Osagie Ehinire, was also partly responsible for the poor records he had in some other areas of the healthcare system.

Some close observers claim the decision of the President was to compensate the ex-governor for his support and loyalty to the party, and to also keep him politically relevant in the state and beyond.



Udoma: Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, the former Minister of Budget and National Planning, exhibited a rare trait of a Nigerian public servant by asking President Buhari not to reappoint him a second time.

Ministry workers hailed him for his patriotism and said he would have ordinarily made it for a second term as a minister as he was in the good books of Buhari.



Ogbeh and Lokpobiri: In the case of Mr Audu Ogbeh, the erstwhile Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development and his Minister of State, Heineken Lokpobiri, many believe Buhari dumped them because of their woeful performance, especially Ogbeh’s.

Both Ogbeh and Lokpobiri were replaced with Senator George Akume and Timipre Silva from Benue and Bayelsa states, respectively.

Many insist that the shoes of Akinwumi Adesina, who was Ogbeh’s predecessor, were too big for him.

This was worsened by his inability to deliver his party, the All Progressive Congress (APC), in his polling unit at the last presidential polls.

The president’s henchmen thus felt it was better to retire aged Ogbeh since he has shown sufficient frailty both in politics and civil service.

Meanwhile, Lokpobiri, it was gathered, claimed to have told President Buhari not to reappoint him as he is running for the Bayelsa gubernatorial election slated for November 16.

The aforesaid notwithstanding, political pundits maintain that with or without Heineken’s gubernatorial ambition, his chances of returning as a minister were too slim because the APC was more disposed to compensating Silva who has failed on two occasions to become the governor of Bayelsa State.



Bwari: For Abubakar Bawa Bwari who served as Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development during President Muhammadu Buhari’s first term in office, his exclusion from the 2019 ministerial list was a surprise.

After the former Minister of Mines and Steel Development and current Executive Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, resigned and Abubakar Bwari took over the reins of leadership, making civil servants to have high hopes of his return.

He was preferred to a fresh appointee because as an insider, he is sufficiently experienced to man the ministry, rather than having a rookie that will spend months learning the ropes again.

Some members of staff of the ministry said: “Mining as a technical area, needs familiar faces rather than the traditional practice of reshuffling ministerial appointees and bringing in greenhorns. Stability is essential for the growth of the sector”.

Subsequent events and press conferences revealed Bwari’s interest to be among the ministerial nominees, but unfortunately he was excluded.

During an interaction with some civil servants in the ministry who did not want to be named, they said: “Whoever will come in, it will take him or her not less than six months depending on how smart the person learns to understand the workings of the ministry and the sector at large. This is what stunts the growth of the sector”.



Dambazau: As regards Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau, the immediate past Minister of Interior, his exclusion from the second term ministerial list was greeted with mixed feelings.

For those assessing him from a narrow ethnic prism, they insist he deserves kudos considering his efforts in ensuring that the heads of all the parastatals under his ministry came from one geographical zone of the country. But for the majority of Nigerians, dumping him was a more reasonable thing to do as ministers should reflect the heterogeneity and diversity of the country in all their dealings.

Under Dambazau, the headship of Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Nigeria Prison Services, Federal Fire Service and the Nigeria Police Force were all Muslims and from the northern part of the country.

If that did not vandalize his second term chances, then the January 16, 2016 video of Dambazau’s shoes being cleaned by his security detail, an official of the Department of State Security (DSS), did.

The 30-second viral video trended with the headline “Dambazau turns DSS officer into a shoe cleaner”.

The video showed the minister, dressed in white, sitting on a couch while the officer with a white handkerchief tried his best to ensure Dambazau’s shoes were shining.

Aside the aforesaid, many feel that the straw that broke the camel’s back and eventually consumed his second term ministerial ambition was the alleged rift between him and the governor of Kano State, Umar Ganduje.

Although his son was lucky to win House of Representatives ticket, his ‘sin’ according to sources, was not only declaring interest to contest the governorship ticket against Ganduje, but also allegedly joining forces with the faction that worked against the re-election of Ganduje as the Kano governor.

Obviously, yanking off his name from the ministerial list was a payback from the governor who personally endorsed the ministerial nominees from Kano State.



Dalung: In the case of Mr Solomon Dalung, the former Minister of Sports and Youth Development, his exclusion from the ministerial list did not certainly come as a shock to many sports-loving Nigerians. He is reputed to have plunged the ministry into a circus of crises such that many wished they could fast-track his exit.

Under Dalung’s watch, all the Sports Federations crumbled like a pack of cards due to one challenge or the other.

Since his assumption of office as the minister, the sports family never experienced any relative peace. From the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) to the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), it has been tales of woe. The fund scam at International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) has still not been unrivaled.

Under Dalung, the NFF and other sports federations were allegedly starved of the statutory monthly budgetary subvention for several months.

Apart from his multiple flaws in the sports circle, which earned him the derogatory description as the worst Sports Minister ever, his endless cold war with the governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, actually nailed his coffin.

Despite all the alleged atrocious acts as a minister, Dalung was quoted in the media to have bragged that nothing could rob him the chance of returning as Buhari’s minister a second time.

Again, based on his dressings, the alleged horrifying grammatical blunder of the funds ‘spended was properly spended’ among others, Darling was certainly the most maligned minister and as such only a handful of Nigerians expected his return.



Enelamah: At the Ministry of Industry Trade and Investment, many kicked against the reappointment of Dr Okechukwu Enelemah as minister.

According to industry watchers, Enelamah as an ex-Trade minister and the acting Managing Director of the Nigeria Export Processing of Nigeria Export Processing Zone Authority (NEPZA), Mr Terhemba Nongo were directed by the Senate to return N14.3 billion to the Federal Government from alleged opaque deals.

The directive was contained in a letter written by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Trade and Investment, Mr Mohammed Sabo. According to the Senate, the money was allegedly diverted from the 2017 budget of NEPZA.

In the letter, Mr Sabo asked the minister and the NEPZA boss to either return the N14.3 billion of face dire consequences.

The lawmaker had told journalists that the money was transferred from NEPZA account into the account of a private company, the Nigeria Special Economic Zone Company. He said the money was hurriedly transferred between April 8 and 10, ignoring an earlier warning not to do so.

He also said the money was first lodged in NEPZA’s account domiciled with the Central Bank of Nigeria, from 2017 budget allocations and thereafter moved into the private firm’s account.



Aisha Abubakar: Also, the Minister of State, Industry, Trade and Investment, Aisha Abubakar who was in charge of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in all the parastatals under the ministry did not make it back.

She was heavily criticized by industry operators for not making much impact in the ministry.

Though she was later drafted to oversee the Women Affairs Ministry, many were elated not to find her name on the ministerial list.

Alhassan: Aisha Alhassan popularly called Mama Taraba was the erstwhile Minister of Women Affairs.

While serving in Buhari’s administration, she openly showed loyalty to former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, who was also the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 elections.

While many thought Buhari will fire her for the obvious insubordination, the Presidency rather ignored her until she finally resigned on September 29, 2019 ahead of the 2019 elections to pursue a gubernatorial ambition, which she lost.

She tweeted: “Today, the 29th of September 2018, I wish to transmit to the President my decision to resign as the Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and withdraw my membership of the All Progressive Congress (APC),”

Not done, Alhassan stormed the APC office in Jalingo and retrieved all property she hitherto bought for the office. She was replaced by Aisha Abubakar, Minister of State, Trade and Investment.

Daramola: Cladius Omoleye Daramola, the ex-minister of state, Niger Delta was largely under the radar with many not knowing who he was. Ministry staff described him as a silent boss, just as industry stakeholders lamented that his impact was not felt and they believe it was what denied him a second chance at FEC.

Dan-Ali: For Mansur Dan-Ali, the former Minister of Defence, his return would have been a miracle judging from his glaring abysmal four-year performance.

Security experts and the public expressed endless shock over his inability to tackle banditry and terrorism in his state, Zamfara.

The development got so bad that traditional rulers in his state indicted him for being complicit.

Rather than tackle the issues, he was reported to was giving one excuse after the other as insecurity ravaged the North.

As a liability in the Buhari administration, he had to be dropped.

Shittu: Adebayo Shittu, the ex-communications minister was enmeshed in complex web of controversies.

Aside battling the controversies surrounding his evasion of the mandatory National Youth Service Corps, he was constantly at loggerheads with the APC and his governor, Abiola Ajumobi, who, in collaboration with the party, totally nailed his chances of governing the state.

What also worked against Shittu apart from the disagreement with his party, was his poor grasp of ICT, being the bedrock of his ministry. Though he conceded that he did not understand the complexities, stakeholders said he was also frighteningly slow at learning.

Bukar Ibrahim: Khadija Bukar Ibrahim, ex-state minister, Foreign Affairs did not incur the wrath of the power brokers, neither was she in the news for the wrong reasons.

Having served as a minister, she left to contest for House of Representatives ticket on the APC platform and won. She was hitherto at the lower chamber before becoming a minister.

She is currently the Chairman Ad-hoc Committee on Media at the House of Representatives.

Jubril: For Ibrahim Usman Jubril, the ex-minister of Environment, he tendered his resignation to become the 12th Emir of Nasarawa, Nasarawa State.

https://www.sunnewsonline.com/ministerial-nominees-why-buhari-dumped-ogbeh-dambazau-kachikwu-dalung-anwukah-others/
Re: Ministerial nominees: Why Buhari dropped Dambazau, Kachikwu, Anwukah, others by willexyaho(m): 8:52pm On Jul 28, 2019
After 54 days of suspense, President Muhammadu Buhari last Tuesday released the names of 43 ministerial nominees that were forwarded to the National Assembly for clearance; as he tries to cobble his cabinet for his second and final term.

The list, which has elicited divergent reactions, has 14 ministers that were retained; while 19 were replaced. The list is also the highest since Nigeria returned to democratic rule in 1999.

Those dropped included: Ex-minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau; Solomon Dalung (Sports); Adebayo Shittu (Communications); Suleiman Adamu (Water Resources); Ibe Kachikwu (Petroleum); Audu Ogbeh (Agriculture); Udo Udoma (Budget and National Planning); Ibrahim Usman Jibril (Environment); Khadija Bukar Ibrahim (ex-state minister, Foreign Affairs); Cladius Omoleye Daramola (ex-minister of state for Niger Delta); Prof Anthony Anwukah (ex-minister of state for Education); Aisha Alhassan (Women Affairs); Dan Ali (Defence); Okechukwu Enelamah (Trade, Investment and Industry); Aisha Abubakar (ex-minister of state, Trade and Investment); Heineken Lokpobiri (ex-minister of State for Agriculture); Isaac Adewole (Health); Abubakar Bawa Bwari (ex-minister of state for Solid Minerals); Usani Uguru; ex-minister of Niger Delta.



Kachikwu: Of all the 19 ministers that were dropped, the erstwhile Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu was the most anticipated because he had periodic squabbles with then Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr Maikanti Baru, a matter that snowballed into a protracted crisis of confidence.

On October 3, 2017, a lengthy letter dated August 30, 2017 and written by Kachikwu to President Buhari leaked to the public.

In the four-page letter, the former Petroleum Minister accused the former NNPC GMD of awarding $25billion contracts without consulting either his office or the NNPC board.

He further accused Baru of alleged insubordination, lack of adherence to due process and running a “bravado management style” that was capable of dwarfing the growth of the sector.

The matter, according to industry watchers, angered Baru’s backers believed to be influential politicians within the Presidency.

They considered Kachikwu’s letter an affront and swore not to see him return, despite the array of legendary projects he was supervising.

According to a top civil servant who craved anonymity, “since Kachikwu accused Baru of sidelining him, the power brokers ensured he remained sidelined till the end of the first tenure of President Buhari. They also ensured he never saw Buhari or succeeded in lobbying his way back a second time”.

Another ‘sin’ of Kachikwu was what was seen as his initial reluctance to aggressively resume oil exploration in the North as directed by Buhari in 2016.

He is also believed to be the sacrificial lamb in a power play between his backer, Theophilus Danjuma and the presidency over the blame game on rising insurgency.

Kachikwu was replaced with Festus Keyamo (Delta State), who was the Spokesman of the President Buhari Campaign Council for the 2019 election.



Usani: For the former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Usani Uguru Usani, his hopes of returning to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) were dashed because he was defeated in the intrigues of power play by Goddy Jeddy Agba who clinched the Cross Rivers State ministerial slot.

Sources at the presidency revealed that Usani’s first outing as a Minister was so tumultuous that three Permanent Secretaries served under him.

Sources confided in Sunday Sun that in his home state, Usani horribly divided and weakened the All Progressive Congress (APC) such that it was impossible to have a cohesive and formidable front. The development was linked to the loss of the party at the gubernatorial election.

He was also accused of causing some upsets at the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs. But a source in the ministry who spoke anonymously said that there was nothing unusual about having three Permanent Secretaries working under Usani.

“It was just a normal routine thing. Even the one that retired yesterday (Tuesday) attained the age of 60. So, there was nothing weird about it,” the source said.



Anwukah: In the case of the former Minister of State, Education, Prof. Anthony Anwukah, his non-return did not come as a surprise to the staff of the Federal Ministry of Education.

They attributed it to his poor performance and abrasive human relations; even with his personal staff.

In addition, many said he did not have a cordial working relationship with his superior, Mallam Adamu Adamu, who, unlike Anwukah enjoyed presidential patronage.

Anwukah, it was further gathered found it uncomfortable working with Adamu Adamu, who he feels possesses lower academic qualifications than himself.

Many believe that mindset gave rise to the power tussle that occurred in 2015 when they assumed office.

Adamu, apparently enjoying robust support from the presidential villa, frustrated Anwukah to the point that he threatened to resign. There were claims that Adamu took over the supervision of agencies and parastatals hitherto supervised by the minister of state.

According to analysts, the action made Anwukah redundant with little or no influence on the activities of the ministry. It was also gathered that Adamu appointed heads of agencies without Anwukah’s knowledge nor contributions.



Adewole: With regards to Prof. Isaac Adewole, the former Minister of Health, many expressed shock that he was not reappointed by President Buhari because the permutation was that he championed great reforms that should have guaranteed him a reappointment.

With his name not on the list, industry pundits are of the opinion that his running battle with Joint Health Workers Union (JOHESU) over welfare, remuneration and condition of service may have blighted his chances.

Nonetheless, it is on record that he championed the implementation of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) policy with has great impact on basic health care services.

Some officials of the ministry who pleaded anonymity said his inability to work closely with his then Minister of State, Dr. Osagie Ehinire, was also partly responsible for the poor records he had in some other areas of the healthcare system.

Some close observers claim the decision of the President was to compensate the ex-governor for his support and loyalty to the party, and to also keep him politically relevant in the state and beyond.



Udoma: Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, the former Minister of Budget and National Planning, exhibited a rare trait of a Nigerian public servant by asking President Buhari not to reappoint him a second time.

Ministry workers hailed him for his patriotism and said he would have ordinarily made it for a second term as a minister as he was in the good books of Buhari.



Ogbeh and Lokpobiri: In the case of Mr Audu Ogbeh, the erstwhile Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development and his Minister of State, Heineken Lokpobiri, many believe Buhari dumped them because of their woeful performance, especially Ogbeh’s.

Both Ogbeh and Lokpobiri were replaced with Senator George Akume and Timipre Silva from Benue and Bayelsa states, respectively.

Many insist that the shoes of Akinwumi Adesina, who was Ogbeh’s predecessor, were too big for him.

This was worsened by his inability to deliver his party, the All Progressive Congress (APC), in his polling unit at the last presidential polls.

The president’s henchmen thus felt it was better to retire aged Ogbeh since he has shown sufficient frailty both in politics and civil service.

Meanwhile, Lokpobiri, it was gathered, claimed to have told President Buhari not to reappoint him as he is running for the Bayelsa gubernatorial election slated for November 16.

The aforesaid notwithstanding, political pundits maintain that with or without Heineken’s gubernatorial ambition, his chances of returning as a minister were too slim because the APC was more disposed to compensating Silva who has failed on two occasions to become the governor of Bayelsa State.



Bwari: For Abubakar Bawa Bwari who served as Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development during President Muhammadu Buhari’s first term in office, his exclusion from the 2019 ministerial list was a surprise.

After the former Minister of Mines and Steel Development and current Executive Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, resigned and Abubakar Bwari took over the reins of leadership, making civil servants to have high hopes of his return.

He was preferred to a fresh appointee because as an insider, he is sufficiently experienced to man the ministry, rather than having a rookie that will spend months learning the ropes again.

Some members of staff of the ministry said: “Mining as a technical area, needs familiar faces rather than the traditional practice of reshuffling ministerial appointees and bringing in greenhorns. Stability is essential for the growth of the sector”.

Subsequent events and press conferences revealed Bwari’s interest to be among the ministerial nominees, but unfortunately he was excluded.

During an interaction with some civil servants in the ministry who did not want to be named, they said: “Whoever will come in, it will take him or her not less than six months depending on how smart the person learns to understand the workings of the ministry and the sector at large. This is what stunts the growth of the sector”.



Dambazau: As regards Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau, the immediate past Minister of Interior, his exclusion from the second term ministerial list was greeted with mixed feelings.

For those assessing him from a narrow ethnic prism, they insist he deserves kudos considering his efforts in ensuring that the heads of all the parastatals under his ministry came from one geographical zone of the country. But for the majority of Nigerians, dumping him was a more reasonable thing to do as ministers should reflect the heterogeneity and diversity of the country in all their dealings.

Under Dambazau, the headship of Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Nigeria Prison Services, Federal Fire Service and the Nigeria Police Force were all Muslims and from the northern part of the country.

If that did not vandalize his second term chances, then the January 16, 2016 video of Dambazau’s shoes being cleaned by his security detail, an official of the Department of State Security (DSS), did.

The 30-second viral video trended with the headline “Dambazau turns DSS officer into a shoe cleaner”.

The video showed the minister, dressed in white, sitting on a couch while the officer with a white handkerchief tried his best to ensure Dambazau’s shoes were shining.

Aside the aforesaid, many feel that the straw that broke the camel’s back and eventually consumed his second term ministerial ambition was the alleged rift between him and the governor of Kano State, Umar Ganduje.

Although his son was lucky to win House of Representatives ticket, his ‘sin’ according to sources, was not only declaring interest to contest the governorship ticket against Ganduje, but also allegedly joining forces with the faction that worked against the re-election of Ganduje as the Kano governor.

Obviously, yanking off his name from the ministerial list was a payback from the governor who personally endorsed the ministerial nominees from Kano State.



Dalung: In the case of Mr Solomon Dalung, the former Minister of Sports and Youth Development, his exclusion from the ministerial list did not certainly come as a shock to many sports-loving Nigerians. He is reputed to have plunged the ministry into a circus of crises such that many wished they could fast-track his exit.

Under Dalung’s watch, all the Sports Federations crumbled like a pack of cards due to one challenge or the other.

Since his assumption of office as the minister, the sports family never experienced any relative peace. From the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) to the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), it has been tales of woe. The fund scam at International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) has still not been unrivaled.

Under Dalung, the NFF and other sports federations were allegedly starved of the statutory monthly budgetary subvention for several months.

Apart from his multiple flaws in the sports circle, which earned him the derogatory description as the worst Sports Minister ever, his endless cold war with the governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, actually nailed his coffin.

Despite all the alleged atrocious acts as a minister, Dalung was quoted in the media to have bragged that nothing could rob him the chance of returning as Buhari’s minister a second time.

Again, based on his dressings, the alleged horrifying grammatical blunder of the funds ‘spended was properly spended’ among others, Darling was certainly the most maligned minister and as such only a handful of Nigerians expected his return.



Enelamah: At the Ministry of Industry Trade and Investment, many kicked against the reappointment of Dr Okechukwu Enelemah as minister.

According to industry watchers, Enelamah as an ex-Trade minister and the acting Managing Director of the Nigeria Export Processing of Nigeria Export Processing Zone Authority (NEPZA), Mr Terhemba Nongo were directed by the Senate to return N14.3 billion to the Federal Government from alleged opaque deals.

The directive was contained in a letter written by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Trade and Investment, Mr Mohammed Sabo. According to the Senate, the money was allegedly diverted from the 2017 budget of NEPZA.

In the letter, Mr Sabo asked the minister and the NEPZA boss to either return the N14.3 billion of face dire consequences.

The lawmaker had told journalists that the money was transferred from NEPZA account into the account of a private company, the Nigeria Special Economic Zone Company. He said the money was hurriedly transferred between April 8 and 10, ignoring an earlier warning not to do so.

He also said the money was first lodged in NEPZA’s account domiciled with the Central Bank of Nigeria, from 2017 budget allocations and thereafter moved into the private firm’s account.



Aisha Abubakar: Also, the Minister of State, Industry, Trade and Investment, Aisha Abubakar who was in charge of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in all the parastatals under the ministry did not make it back.

She was heavily criticized by industry operators for not making much impact in the ministry.

Though she was later drafted to oversee the Women Affairs Ministry, many were elated not to find her name on the ministerial list.

Alhassan: Aisha Alhassan popularly called Mama Taraba was the erstwhile Minister of Women Affairs.

While serving in Buhari’s administration, she openly showed loyalty to former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, who was also the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 elections.

While many thought Buhari will fire her for the obvious insubordination, the Presidency rather ignored her until she finally resigned on September 29, 2019 ahead of the 2019 elections to pursue a gubernatorial ambition, which she lost.

She tweeted: “Today, the 29th of September 2018, I wish to transmit to the President my decision to resign as the Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and withdraw my membership of the All Progressive Congress (APC),”

Not done, Alhassan stormed the APC office in Jalingo and retrieved all property she hitherto bought for the office. She was replaced by Aisha Abubakar, Minister of State, Trade and Investment.

Daramola: Cladius Omoleye Daramola, the ex-minister of state, Niger Delta was largely under the radar with many not knowing who he was. Ministry staff described him as a silent boss, just as industry stakeholders lamented that his impact was not felt and they believe it was what denied him a second chance at FEC.

Dan-Ali: For Mansur Dan-Ali, the former Minister of Defence, his return would have been a miracle judging from his glaring abysmal four-year performance.

Security experts and the public expressed endless shock over his inability to tackle banditry and terrorism in his state, Zamfara.

The development got so bad that traditional rulers in his state indicted him for being complicit.

Rather than tackle the issues, he was reported to was giving one excuse after the other as insecurity ravaged the North.

As a liability in the Buhari administration, he had to be dropped.

Shittu: Adebayo Shittu, the ex-communications minister was enmeshed in complex web of controversies.

Aside battling the controversies surrounding his evasion of the mandatory National Youth Service Corps, he was constantly at loggerheads with the APC and his governor, Abiola Ajumobi, who, in collaboration with the party, totally nailed his chances of governing the state.

What also worked against Shittu apart from the disagreement with his party, was his poor grasp of ICT, being the bedrock of his ministry. Though he conceded that he did not understand the complexities, stakeholders said he was also frighteningly slow at learning.

Bukar Ibrahim: Khadija Bukar Ibrahim, ex-state minister, Foreign Affairs did not incur the wrath of the power brokers, neither was she in the news for the wrong reasons.

Having served as a minister, she left to contest for House of Representatives ticket on the APC platform and won. She was hitherto at the lower chamber before becoming a minister.

She is currently the Chairman Ad-hoc Committee on Media at the House of Representatives.

Jubril: For Ibrahim Usman Jubril, the ex-minister of Environment, he tendered his resignation to become the 12th Emir of Nasarawa, Nasarawa State.

https://www.sunnewsonline.com/ministerial-nominees-why-buhari-dumped-ogbeh-dambazau-kachikwu-dalung-anwuka



After reading this is what I can say
I think the boy is wrong by beating his elder sister just because her mother chased his father away,and as for his uncle he shouldn't have slept with his landlord's daughter but I suggests the landlord should give him two weeks more then if he didn't pay his house rent,he should go and marry another wife before the igwe calls another village meeting, thank you.
Re: Ministerial nominees: Why Buhari dropped Dambazau, Kachikwu, Anwukah, others by Nobody: 8:53pm On Jul 28, 2019
smiley
Re: Ministerial nominees: Why Buhari dropped Dambazau, Kachikwu, Anwukah, others by flowx(m): 8:53pm On Jul 28, 2019
mytime24:
Ministers wey mumu embarassed

is missing since yesterday!
Re: Ministerial nominees: Why Buhari dropped Dambazau, Kachikwu, Anwukah, others by Nobody: 8:54pm On Jul 28, 2019
TIGRITIS:
Imagine such a lengthy write-up which may just be based on assumption. undecided

Abi na buhari use im mouth tell you his reason?

U can't teach and won't learn. It's a pity.

1 Like

Re: Ministerial nominees: Why Buhari dropped Dambazau, Kachikwu, Anwukah, others by VeeVeeMyLuv(m): 8:56pm On Jul 28, 2019
u drop Kachikwu because he is intelligent and u say u want to move the country forward
Re: Ministerial nominees: Why Buhari dropped Dambazau, Kachikwu, Anwukah, others by AK481(m): 8:56pm On Jul 28, 2019
Nonsense write up.

Summary of appointment: only those with better political value in their state during 2019 election for APC was re elected. QED.



Shior

1 Like

Re: Ministerial nominees: Why Buhari dropped Dambazau, Kachikwu, Anwukah, others by esiri4jesu(m): 8:59pm On Jul 28, 2019
Invest and wait rather than waiting to invest.
Check this out
https://choicepropertiesblog..com/?m=1
Re: Ministerial nominees: Why Buhari dropped Dambazau, Kachikwu, Anwukah, others by emeijeh(m): 8:59pm On Jul 28, 2019
flowx:


is missing since yesterday!

Don't mind the dead meat suya boy.
No light to charge his phone since yesterday

3 Likes

Re: Ministerial nominees: Why Buhari dropped Dambazau, Kachikwu, Anwukah, others by Aldebaran(m): 8:59pm On Jul 28, 2019
Hmmmm grin
Re: Ministerial nominees: Why Buhari dropped Dambazau, Kachikwu, Anwukah, others by Nemesis909: 9:00pm On Jul 28, 2019
flowx:


is missing since yesterday!

Your point being?
Re: Ministerial nominees: Why Buhari dropped Dambazau, Kachikwu, Anwukah, others by TSRC: 9:10pm On Jul 28, 2019
exponential1:
grin

Good read though,
Liberal Igbo perspective on the ministers instead of the regular hate filled n bigoted perspective from foolish PDP supporters, Ipob n other lunatics alike.

Is buhari paying you?
For all we know, you are benefiting from an Igbo man or woman more than you will ever benefit from buhari.
Re: Ministerial nominees: Why Buhari dropped Dambazau, Kachikwu, Anwukah, others by TSRC: 9:13pm On Jul 28, 2019
AK481:
Nonsense write up.

Summary of appointment: only those with better political value in their state during 2019 election for APC was re elected. QED.



Shior

True.
It was a political list nothing more.
PDP gave them a scare in 2019.
They need the gladiators to secure their base or they may lose in 2023.

On a normal day, what does timipreye and akume have to offer in government?
A big fat nothing.

1 Like

Re: Ministerial nominees: Why Buhari dropped Dambazau, Kachikwu, Anwukah, others by Nobody: 9:15pm On Jul 28, 2019
Nemesis909:


Full powers to do what exactly?

To do what "powers" can do. lol
Re: Ministerial nominees: Why Buhari dropped Dambazau, Kachikwu, Anwukah, others by Cmanforall: 9:30pm On Jul 28, 2019
Anwuka is Rochas in-law. The sun should have noted that.
Elchicolo:
After 54 days of suspense, President Muhammadu Buhari last Tuesday released the names of 43 ministerial nominees that were forwarded to the National Assembly for clearance; as he tries to cobble his cabinet for his second and final term.

The list, which has elicited divergent reactions, has 14 ministers that were retained; while 19 were replaced. The list is also the highest since Nigeria returned to democratic rule in 1999.

Those dropped included: Ex-minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau; Solomon Dalung (Sports); Adebayo Shittu (Communications); Suleiman Adamu (Water Resources); Ibe Kachikwu (Petroleum); Audu Ogbeh (Agriculture); Udo Udoma (Budget and National Planning); Ibrahim Usman Jibril (Environment); Khadija Bukar Ibrahim (ex-state minister, Foreign Affairs); Cladius Omoleye Daramola (ex-minister of state for Niger Delta); Prof Anthony Anwukah (ex-minister of state for Education); Aisha Alhassan (Women Affairs); Dan Ali (Defence); Okechukwu Enelamah (Trade, Investment and Industry); Aisha Abubakar (ex-minister of state, Trade and Investment); Heineken Lokpobiri (ex-minister of State for Agriculture); Isaac Adewole (Health); Abubakar Bawa Bwari (ex-minister of state for Solid Minerals); Usani Uguru; ex-minister of Niger Delta.



Kachikwu: Of all the 19 ministers that were dropped, the erstwhile Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu was the most anticipated because he had periodic squabbles with then Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr Maikanti Baru, a matter that snowballed into a protracted crisis of confidence.

On October 3, 2017, a lengthy letter dated August 30, 2017 and written by Kachikwu to President Buhari leaked to the public.

In the four-page letter, the former Petroleum Minister accused the former NNPC GMD of awarding $25billion contracts without consulting either his office or the NNPC board.

He further accused Baru of alleged insubordination, lack of adherence to due process and running a “bravado management style” that was capable of dwarfing the growth of the sector.

The matter, according to industry watchers, angered Baru’s backers believed to be influential politicians within the Presidency.

They considered Kachikwu’s letter an affront and swore not to see him return, despite the array of legendary projects he was supervising.

According to a top civil servant who craved anonymity, “since Kachikwu accused Baru of sidelining him, the power brokers ensured he remained sidelined till the end of the first tenure of President Buhari. They also ensured he never saw Buhari or succeeded in lobbying his way back a second time”.

Another ‘sin’ of Kachikwu was what was seen as his initial reluctance to aggressively resume oil exploration in the North as directed by Buhari in 2016.

He is also believed to be the sacrificial lamb in a power play between his backer, Theophilus Danjuma and the presidency over the blame game on rising insurgency.

Kachikwu was replaced with Festus Keyamo (Delta State), who was the Spokesman of the President Buhari Campaign Council for the 2019 election.



Usani: For the former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Usani Uguru Usani, his hopes of returning to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) were dashed because he was defeated in the intrigues of power play by Goddy Jeddy Agba who clinched the Cross Rivers State ministerial slot.

Sources at the presidency revealed that Usani’s first outing as a Minister was so tumultuous that three Permanent Secretaries served under him.

Sources confided in Sunday Sun that in his home state, Usani horribly divided and weakened the All Progressive Congress (APC) such that it was impossible to have a cohesive and formidable front. The development was linked to the loss of the party at the gubernatorial election.

He was also accused of causing some upsets at the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs. But a source in the ministry who spoke anonymously said that there was nothing unusual about having three Permanent Secretaries working under Usani.

“It was just a normal routine thing. Even the one that retired yesterday (Tuesday) attained the age of 60. So, there was nothing weird about it,” the source said.



Anwukah: In the case of the former Minister of State, Education, Prof. Anthony Anwukah, his non-return did not come as a surprise to the staff of the Federal Ministry of Education.

They attributed it to his poor performance and abrasive human relations; even with his personal staff.

In addition, many said he did not have a cordial working relationship with his superior, Mallam Adamu Adamu, who, unlike Anwukah enjoyed presidential patronage.

Anwukah, it was further gathered found it uncomfortable working with Adamu Adamu, who he feels possesses lower academic qualifications than himself.

Many believe that mindset gave rise to the power tussle that occurred in 2015 when they assumed office.

Adamu, apparently enjoying robust support from the presidential villa, frustrated Anwukah to the point that he threatened to resign. There were claims that Adamu took over the supervision of agencies and parastatals hitherto supervised by the minister of state.

According to analysts, the action made Anwukah redundant with little or no influence on the activities of the ministry. It was also gathered that Adamu appointed heads of agencies without Anwukah’s knowledge nor contributions.



Adewole: With regards to Prof. Isaac Adewole, the former Minister of Health, many expressed shock that he was not reappointed by President Buhari because the permutation was that he championed great reforms that should have guaranteed him a reappointment.

With his name not on the list, industry pundits are of the opinion that his running battle with Joint Health Workers Union (JOHESU) over welfare, remuneration and condition of service may have blighted his chances.

Nonetheless, it is on record that he championed the implementation of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) policy with has great impact on basic health care services.

Some officials of the ministry who pleaded anonymity said his inability to work closely with his then Minister of State, Dr. Osagie Ehinire, was also partly responsible for the poor records he had in some other areas of the healthcare system.

Some close observers claim the decision of the President was to compensate the ex-governor for his support and loyalty to the party, and to also keep him politically relevant in the state and beyond.



Udoma: Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, the former Minister of Budget and National Planning, exhibited a rare trait of a Nigerian public servant by asking President Buhari not to reappoint him a second time.

Ministry workers hailed him for his patriotism and said he would have ordinarily made it for a second term as a minister as he was in the good books of Buhari.



Ogbeh and Lokpobiri: In the case of Mr Audu Ogbeh, the erstwhile Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development and his Minister of State, Heineken Lokpobiri, many believe Buhari dumped them because of their woeful performance, especially Ogbeh’s.

Both Ogbeh and Lokpobiri were replaced with Senator George Akume and Timipre Silva from Benue and Bayelsa states, respectively.

Many insist that the shoes of Akinwumi Adesina, who was Ogbeh’s predecessor, were too big for him.

This was worsened by his inability to deliver his party, the All Progressive Congress (APC), in his polling unit at the last presidential polls.

The president’s henchmen thus felt it was better to retire aged Ogbeh since he has shown sufficient frailty both in politics and civil service.

Meanwhile, Lokpobiri, it was gathered, claimed to have told President Buhari not to reappoint him as he is running for the Bayelsa gubernatorial election slated for November 16.

The aforesaid notwithstanding, political pundits maintain that with or without Heineken’s gubernatorial ambition, his chances of returning as a minister were too slim because the APC was more disposed to compensating Silva who has failed on two occasions to become the governor of Bayelsa State.



Bwari: For Abubakar Bawa Bwari who served as Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development during President Muhammadu Buhari’s first term in office, his exclusion from the 2019 ministerial list was a surprise.

After the former Minister of Mines and Steel Development and current Executive Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, resigned and Abubakar Bwari took over the reins of leadership, making civil servants to have high hopes of his return.

He was preferred to a fresh appointee because as an insider, he is sufficiently experienced to man the ministry, rather than having a rookie that will spend months learning the ropes again.

Some members of staff of the ministry said: “Mining as a technical area, needs familiar faces rather than the traditional practice of reshuffling ministerial appointees and bringing in greenhorns. Stability is essential for the growth of the sector”.

Subsequent events and press conferences revealed Bwari’s interest to be among the ministerial nominees, but unfortunately he was excluded.

During an interaction with some civil servants in the ministry who did not want to be named, they said: “Whoever will come in, it will take him or her not less than six months depending on how smart the person learns to understand the workings of the ministry and the sector at large. This is what stunts the growth of the sector”.



Dambazau: As regards Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau, the immediate past Minister of Interior, his exclusion from the second term ministerial list was greeted with mixed feelings.

For those assessing him from a narrow ethnic prism, they insist he deserves kudos considering his efforts in ensuring that the heads of all the parastatals under his ministry came from one geographical zone of the country. But for the majority of Nigerians, dumping him was a more reasonable thing to do as ministers should reflect the heterogeneity and diversity of the country in all their dealings.

Under Dambazau, the headship of Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Nigeria Prison Services, Federal Fire Service and the Nigeria Police Force were all Muslims and from the northern part of the country.

If that did not vandalize his second term chances, then the January 16, 2016 video of Dambazau’s shoes being cleaned by his security detail, an official of the Department of State Security (DSS), did.

The 30-second viral video trended with the headline “Dambazau turns DSS officer into a shoe cleaner”.

The video showed the minister, dressed in white, sitting on a couch while the officer with a white handkerchief tried his best to ensure Dambazau’s shoes were shining.

Aside the aforesaid, many feel that the straw that broke the camel’s back and eventually consumed his second term ministerial ambition was the alleged rift between him and the governor of Kano State, Umar Ganduje.

Although his son was lucky to win House of Representatives ticket, his ‘sin’ according to sources, was not only declaring interest to contest the governorship ticket against Ganduje, but also allegedly joining forces with the faction that worked against the re-election of Ganduje as the Kano governor.

Obviously, yanking off his name from the ministerial list was a payback from the governor who personally endorsed the ministerial nominees from Kano State.



Dalung: In the case of Mr Solomon Dalung, the former Minister of Sports and Youth Development, his exclusion from the ministerial list did not certainly come as a shock to many sports-loving Nigerians. He is reputed to have plunged the ministry into a circus of crises such that many wished they could fast-track his exit.

Under Dalung’s watch, all the Sports Federations crumbled like a pack of cards due to one challenge or the other.

Since his assumption of office as the minister, the sports family never experienced any relative peace. From the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) to the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), it has been tales of woe. The fund scam at International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) has still not been unrivaled.

Under Dalung, the NFF and other sports federations were allegedly starved of the statutory monthly budgetary subvention for several months.

Apart from his multiple flaws in the sports circle, which earned him the derogatory description as the worst Sports Minister ever, his endless cold war with the governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, actually nailed his coffin.

Despite all the alleged atrocious acts as a minister, Dalung was quoted in the media to have bragged that nothing could rob him the chance of returning as Buhari’s minister a second time.

Again, based on his dressings, the alleged horrifying grammatical blunder of the funds ‘spended was properly spended’ among others, Darling was certainly the most maligned minister and as such only a handful of Nigerians expected his return.



Enelamah: At the Ministry of Industry Trade and Investment, many kicked against the reappointment of Dr Okechukwu Enelemah as minister.

According to industry watchers, Enelamah as an ex-Trade minister and the acting Managing Director of the Nigeria Export Processing of Nigeria Export Processing Zone Authority (NEPZA), Mr Terhemba Nongo were directed by the Senate to return N14.3 billion to the Federal Government from alleged opaque deals.

The directive was contained in a letter written by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Trade and Investment, Mr Mohammed Sabo. According to the Senate, the money was allegedly diverted from the 2017 budget of NEPZA.

In the letter, Mr Sabo asked the minister and the NEPZA boss to either return the N14.3 billion of face dire consequences.

The lawmaker had told journalists that the money was transferred from NEPZA account into the account of a private company, the Nigeria Special Economic Zone Company. He said the money was hurriedly transferred between April 8 and 10, ignoring an earlier warning not to do so.

He also said the money was first lodged in NEPZA’s account domiciled with the Central Bank of Nigeria, from 2017 budget allocations and thereafter moved into the private firm’s account.



Aisha Abubakar: Also, the Minister of State, Industry, Trade and Investment, Aisha Abubakar who was in charge of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in all the parastatals under the ministry did not make it back.

She was heavily criticized by industry operators for not making much impact in the ministry.

Though she was later drafted to oversee the Women Affairs Ministry, many were elated not to find her name on the ministerial list.

Alhassan: Aisha Alhassan popularly called Mama Taraba was the erstwhile Minister of Women Affairs.

While serving in Buhari’s administration, she openly showed loyalty to former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, who was also the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 elections.

While many thought Buhari will fire her for the obvious insubordination, the Presidency rather ignored her until she finally resigned on September 29, 2019 ahead of the 2019 elections to pursue a gubernatorial ambition, which she lost.

She tweeted: “Today, the 29th of September 2018, I wish to transmit to the President my decision to resign as the Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and withdraw my membership of the All Progressive Congress (APC),”

Not done, Alhassan stormed the APC office in Jalingo and retrieved all property she hitherto bought for the office. She was replaced by Aisha Abubakar, Minister of State, Trade and Investment.

Daramola: Cladius Omoleye Daramola, the ex-minister of state, Niger Delta was largely under the radar with many not knowing who he was. Ministry staff described him as a silent boss, just as industry stakeholders lamented that his impact was not felt and they believe it was what denied him a second chance at FEC.

Dan-Ali: For Mansur Dan-Ali, the former Minister of Defence, his return would have been a miracle judging from his glaring abysmal four-year performance.

Security experts and the public expressed endless shock over his inability to tackle banditry and terrorism in his state, Zamfara.

The development got so bad that traditional rulers in his state indicted him for being complicit.

Rather than tackle the issues, he was reported to was giving one excuse after the other as insecurity ravaged the North.

As a liability in the Buhari administration, he had to be dropped.

Shittu: Adebayo Shittu, the ex-communications minister was enmeshed in complex web of controversies.

Aside battling the controversies surrounding his evasion of the mandatory National Youth Service Corps, he was constantly at loggerheads with the APC and his governor, Abiola Ajumobi, who, in collaboration with the party, totally nailed his chances of governing the state.

What also worked against Shittu apart from the disagreement with his party, was his poor grasp of ICT, being the bedrock of his ministry. Though he conceded that he did not understand the complexities, stakeholders said he was also frighteningly slow at learning.

Bukar Ibrahim: Khadija Bukar Ibrahim, ex-state minister, Foreign Affairs did not incur the wrath of the power brokers, neither was she in the news for the wrong reasons.

Having served as a minister, she left to contest for House of Representatives ticket on the APC platform and won. She was hitherto at the lower chamber before becoming a minister.

She is currently the Chairman Ad-hoc Committee on Media at the House of Representatives.

Jubril: For Ibrahim Usman Jubril, the ex-minister of Environment, he tendered his resignation to become the 12th Emir of Nasarawa, Nasarawa State.

https://www.sunnewsonline.com/ministerial-nominees-why-buhari-dumped-ogbeh-dambazau-kachikwu-dalung-anwukah-others/
Re: Ministerial nominees: Why Buhari dropped Dambazau, Kachikwu, Anwukah, others by Nobody: 9:34pm On Jul 28, 2019
Kachikwu for petroleum minister? It is finished. These guys are totally clueless. I'm surprised Ngige isn't being touted for the position of Minister for health, since the President doesn't know he needs people who are actually in that field to head that field. Leadership isn't rocket science. Nonsense.
Re: Ministerial nominees: Why Buhari dropped Dambazau, Kachikwu, Anwukah, others by joe120120(m): 9:49pm On Jul 28, 2019
Elchicolo:
After 54 days of suspense, President Muhammadu Buhari last Tuesday released the names of 43 ministerial nominees that were forwarded to the National Assembly for clearance; as he tries to cobble his cabinet for his second and final term.

The list, which has elicited divergent reactions, has 14 ministers that were retained; while 19 were replaced. The list is also the highest since Nigeria returned to democratic rule in 1999.

Those dropped included: Ex-minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau; Solomon Dalung (Sports); Adebayo Shittu (Communications); Suleiman Adamu (Water Resources); Ibe Kachikwu (Petroleum); Audu Ogbeh (Agriculture); Udo Udoma (Budget and National Planning); Ibrahim Usman Jibril (Environment); Khadija Bukar Ibrahim (ex-state minister, Foreign Affairs); Cladius Omoleye Daramola (ex-minister of state for Niger Delta); Prof Anthony Anwukah (ex-minister of state for Education); Aisha Alhassan (Women Affairs); Dan Ali (Defence); Okechukwu Enelamah (Trade, Investment and Industry); Aisha Abubakar (ex-minister of state, Trade and Investment); Heineken Lokpobiri (ex-minister of State for Agriculture); Isaac Adewole (Health); Abubakar Bawa Bwari (ex-minister of state for Solid Minerals); Usani Uguru; ex-minister of Niger Delta.



Kachikwu: Of all the 19 ministers that were dropped, the erstwhile Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu was the most anticipated because he had periodic squabbles with then Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr Maikanti Baru, a matter that snowballed into a protracted crisis of confidence.

On October 3, 2017, a lengthy letter dated August 30, 2017 and written by Kachikwu to President Buhari leaked to the public.

In the four-page letter, the former Petroleum Minister accused the former NNPC GMD of awarding $25billion contracts without consulting either his office or the NNPC board.

He further accused Baru of alleged insubordination, lack of adherence to due process and running a “bravado management style” that was capable of dwarfing the growth of the sector.

The matter, according to industry watchers, angered Baru’s backers believed to be influential politicians within the Presidency.

They considered Kachikwu’s letter an affront and swore not to see him return, despite the array of legendary projects he was supervising.

According to a top civil servant who craved anonymity, “since Kachikwu accused Baru of sidelining him, the power brokers ensured he remained sidelined till the end of the first tenure of President Buhari. They also ensured he never saw Buhari or succeeded in lobbying his way back a second time”.

Another ‘sin’ of Kachikwu was what was seen as his initial reluctance to aggressively resume oil exploration in the North as directed by Buhari in 2016.

He is also believed to be the sacrificial lamb in a power play between his backer, Theophilus Danjuma and the presidency over the blame game on rising insurgency.

Kachikwu was replaced with Festus Keyamo (Delta State), who was the Spokesman of the President Buhari Campaign Council for the 2019 election.



Usani: For the former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Usani Uguru Usani, his hopes of returning to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) were dashed because he was defeated in the intrigues of power play by Goddy Jeddy Agba who clinched the Cross Rivers State ministerial slot.

Sources at the presidency revealed that Usani’s first outing as a Minister was so tumultuous that three Permanent Secretaries served under him.

Sources confided in Sunday Sun that in his home state, Usani horribly divided and weakened the All Progressive Congress (APC) such that it was impossible to have a cohesive and formidable front. The development was linked to the loss of the party at the gubernatorial election.

He was also accused of causing some upsets at the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs. But a source in the ministry who spoke anonymously said that there was nothing unusual about having three Permanent Secretaries working under Usani.

“It was just a normal routine thing. Even the one that retired yesterday (Tuesday) attained the age of 60. So, there was nothing weird about it,” the source said.



Anwukah: In the case of the former Minister of State, Education, Prof. Anthony Anwukah, his non-return did not come as a surprise to the staff of the Federal Ministry of Education.

They attributed it to his poor performance and abrasive human relations; even with his personal staff.

In addition, many said he did not have a cordial working relationship with his superior, Mallam Adamu Adamu, who, unlike Anwukah enjoyed presidential patronage.

Anwukah, it was further gathered found it uncomfortable working with Adamu Adamu, who he feels possesses lower academic qualifications than himself.

Many believe that mindset gave rise to the power tussle that occurred in 2015 when they assumed office.

Adamu, apparently enjoying robust support from the presidential villa, frustrated Anwukah to the point that he threatened to resign. There were claims that Adamu took over the supervision of agencies and parastatals hitherto supervised by the minister of state.

According to analysts, the action made Anwukah redundant with little or no influence on the activities of the ministry. It was also gathered that Adamu appointed heads of agencies without Anwukah’s knowledge nor contributions.



Adewole: With regards to Prof. Isaac Adewole, the former Minister of Health, many expressed shock that he was not reappointed by President Buhari because the permutation was that he championed great reforms that should have guaranteed him a reappointment.

With his name not on the list, industry pundits are of the opinion that his running battle with Joint Health Workers Union (JOHESU) over welfare, remuneration and condition of service may have blighted his chances.

Nonetheless, it is on record that he championed the implementation of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) policy with has great impact on basic health care services.

Some officials of the ministry who pleaded anonymity said his inability to work closely with his then Minister of State, Dr. Osagie Ehinire, was also partly responsible for the poor records he had in some other areas of the healthcare system.

Some close observers claim the decision of the President was to compensate the ex-governor for his support and loyalty to the party, and to also keep him politically relevant in the state and beyond.



Udoma: Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, the former Minister of Budget and National Planning, exhibited a rare trait of a Nigerian public servant by asking President Buhari not to reappoint him a second time.

Ministry workers hailed him for his patriotism and said he would have ordinarily made it for a second term as a minister as he was in the good books of Buhari.



Ogbeh and Lokpobiri: In the case of Mr Audu Ogbeh, the erstwhile Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development and his Minister of State, Heineken Lokpobiri, many believe Buhari dumped them because of their woeful performance, especially Ogbeh’s.

Both Ogbeh and Lokpobiri were replaced with Senator George Akume and Timipre Silva from Benue and Bayelsa states, respectively.

Many insist that the shoes of Akinwumi Adesina, who was Ogbeh’s predecessor, were too big for him.

This was worsened by his inability to deliver his party, the All Progressive Congress (APC), in his polling unit at the last presidential polls.

The president’s henchmen thus felt it was better to retire aged Ogbeh since he has shown sufficient frailty both in politics and civil service.

Meanwhile, Lokpobiri, it was gathered, claimed to have told President Buhari not to reappoint him as he is running for the Bayelsa gubernatorial election slated for November 16.

The aforesaid notwithstanding, political pundits maintain that with or without Heineken’s gubernatorial ambition, his chances of returning as a minister were too slim because the APC was more disposed to compensating Silva who has failed on two occasions to become the governor of Bayelsa State.



Bwari: For Abubakar Bawa Bwari who served as Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development during President Muhammadu Buhari’s first term in office, his exclusion from the 2019 ministerial list was a surprise.

After the former Minister of Mines and Steel Development and current Executive Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, resigned and Abubakar Bwari took over the reins of leadership, making civil servants to have high hopes of his return.

He was preferred to a fresh appointee because as an insider, he is sufficiently experienced to man the ministry, rather than having a rookie that will spend months learning the ropes again.

Some members of staff of the ministry said: “Mining as a technical area, needs familiar faces rather than the traditional practice of reshuffling ministerial appointees and bringing in greenhorns. Stability is essential for the growth of the sector”.

Subsequent events and press conferences revealed Bwari’s interest to be among the ministerial nominees, but unfortunately he was excluded.

During an interaction with some civil servants in the ministry who did not want to be named, they said: “Whoever will come in, it will take him or her not less than six months depending on how smart the person learns to understand the workings of the ministry and the sector at large. This is what stunts the growth of the sector”.



Dambazau: As regards Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau, the immediate past Minister of Interior, his exclusion from the second term ministerial list was greeted with mixed feelings.

For those assessing him from a narrow ethnic prism, they insist he deserves kudos considering his efforts in ensuring that the heads of all the parastatals under his ministry came from one geographical zone of the country. But for the majority of Nigerians, dumping him was a more reasonable thing to do as ministers should reflect the heterogeneity and diversity of the country in all their dealings.

Under Dambazau, the headship of Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Nigeria Prison Services, Federal Fire Service and the Nigeria Police Force were all Muslims and from the northern part of the country.

If that did not vandalize his second term chances, then the January 16, 2016 video of Dambazau’s shoes being cleaned by his security detail, an official of the Department of State Security (DSS), did.

The 30-second viral video trended with the headline “Dambazau turns DSS officer into a shoe cleaner”.

The video showed the minister, dressed in white, sitting on a couch while the officer with a white handkerchief tried his best to ensure Dambazau’s shoes were shining.

Aside the aforesaid, many feel that the straw that broke the camel’s back and eventually consumed his second term ministerial ambition was the alleged rift between him and the governor of Kano State, Umar Ganduje.

Although his son was lucky to win House of Representatives ticket, his ‘sin’ according to sources, was not only declaring interest to contest the governorship ticket against Ganduje, but also allegedly joining forces with the faction that worked against the re-election of Ganduje as the Kano governor.

Obviously, yanking off his name from the ministerial list was a payback from the governor who personally endorsed the ministerial nominees from Kano State.



Dalung: In the case of Mr Solomon Dalung, the former Minister of Sports and Youth Development, his exclusion from the ministerial list did not certainly come as a shock to many sports-loving Nigerians. He is reputed to have plunged the ministry into a circus of crises such that many wished they could fast-track his exit.

Under Dalung’s watch, all the Sports Federations crumbled like a pack of cards due to one challenge or the other.

Since his assumption of office as the minister, the sports family never experienced any relative peace. From the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) to the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), it has been tales of woe. The fund scam at International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) has still not been unrivaled.

Under Dalung, the NFF and other sports federations were allegedly starved of the statutory monthly budgetary subvention for several months.

Apart from his multiple flaws in the sports circle, which earned him the derogatory description as the worst Sports Minister ever, his endless cold war with the governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, actually nailed his coffin.

Despite all the alleged atrocious acts as a minister, Dalung was quoted in the media to have bragged that nothing could rob him the chance of returning as Buhari’s minister a second time.

Again, based on his dressings, the alleged horrifying grammatical blunder of the funds ‘spended was properly spended’ among others, Darling was certainly the most maligned minister and as such only a handful of Nigerians expected his return.



Enelamah: At the Ministry of Industry Trade and Investment, many kicked against the reappointment of Dr Okechukwu Enelemah as minister.

According to industry watchers, Enelamah as an ex-Trade minister and the acting Managing Director of the Nigeria Export Processing of Nigeria Export Processing Zone Authority (NEPZA), Mr Terhemba Nongo were directed by the Senate to return N14.3 billion to the Federal Government from alleged opaque deals.

The directive was contained in a letter written by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Trade and Investment, Mr Mohammed Sabo. According to the Senate, the money was allegedly diverted from the 2017 budget of NEPZA.

In the letter, Mr Sabo asked the minister and the NEPZA boss to either return the N14.3 billion of face dire consequences.

The lawmaker had told journalists that the money was transferred from NEPZA account into the account of a private company, the Nigeria Special Economic Zone Company. He said the money was hurriedly transferred between April 8 and 10, ignoring an earlier warning not to do so.

He also said the money was first lodged in NEPZA’s account domiciled with the Central Bank of Nigeria, from 2017 budget allocations and thereafter moved into the private firm’s account.



Aisha Abubakar: Also, the Minister of State, Industry, Trade and Investment, Aisha Abubakar who was in charge of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in all the parastatals under the ministry did not make it back.

She was heavily criticized by industry operators for not making much impact in the ministry.

Though she was later drafted to oversee the Women Affairs Ministry, many were elated not to find her name on the ministerial list.

Alhassan: Aisha Alhassan popularly called Mama Taraba was the erstwhile Minister of Women Affairs.

While serving in Buhari’s administration, she openly showed loyalty to former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, who was also the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 elections.

While many thought Buhari will fire her for the obvious insubordination, the Presidency rather ignored her until she finally resigned on September 29, 2019 ahead of the 2019 elections to pursue a gubernatorial ambition, which she lost.

She tweeted: “Today, the 29th of September 2018, I wish to transmit to the President my decision to resign as the Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and withdraw my membership of the All Progressive Congress (APC),”

Not done, Alhassan stormed the APC office in Jalingo and retrieved all property she hitherto bought for the office. She was replaced by Aisha Abubakar, Minister of State, Trade and Investment.

Daramola: Cladius Omoleye Daramola, the ex-minister of state, Niger Delta was largely under the radar with many not knowing who he was. Ministry staff described him as a silent boss, just as industry stakeholders lamented that his impact was not felt and they believe it was what denied him a second chance at FEC.

Dan-Ali: For Mansur Dan-Ali, the former Minister of Defence, his return would have been a miracle judging from his glaring abysmal four-year performance.

Security experts and the public expressed endless shock over his inability to tackle banditry and terrorism in his state, Zamfara.

The development got so bad that traditional rulers in his state indicted him for being complicit.

Rather than tackle the issues, he was reported to was giving one excuse after the other as insecurity ravaged the North.

As a liability in the Buhari administration, he had to be dropped.

Shittu: Adebayo Shittu, the ex-communications minister was enmeshed in complex web of controversies.

Aside battling the controversies surrounding his evasion of the mandatory National Youth Service Corps, he was constantly at loggerheads with the APC and his governor, Abiola Ajumobi, who, in collaboration with the party, totally nailed his chances of governing the state.

What also worked against Shittu apart from the disagreement with his party, was his poor grasp of ICT, being the bedrock of his ministry. Though he conceded that he did not understand the complexities, stakeholders said he was also frighteningly slow at learning.

Bukar Ibrahim: Khadija Bukar Ibrahim, ex-state minister, Foreign Affairs did not incur the wrath of the power brokers, neither was she in the news for the wrong reasons.

Having served as a minister, she left to contest for House of Representatives ticket on the APC platform and won. She was hitherto at the lower chamber before becoming a minister.

She is currently the Chairman Ad-hoc Committee on Media at the House of Representatives.

Jubril: For Ibrahim Usman Jubril, the ex-minister of Environment, he tendered his resignation to become the 12th Emir of Nasarawa, Nasarawa State.

https://www.sunnewsonline.com/ministerial-nominees-why-buhari-dumped-ogbeh-dambazau-kachikwu-dalung-anwukah-others/


Nigeria die die die die
Rip Nigeria
Re: Ministerial nominees: Why Buhari dropped Dambazau, Kachikwu, Anwukah, others by Harddiskng(m): 9:52pm On Jul 28, 2019
Best trend on NL in a very long time.

An eye opener, how resources of this Nation has been cornered and monopolized a particular group of people is enough to shed tears cry

Nigeria is deteriorating embarassed
Re: Ministerial nominees: Why Buhari dropped Dambazau, Kachikwu, Anwukah, others by exponential1: 9:52pm On Jul 28, 2019
Buhari is paying for telling the truth about foolish Igbos on NL who act foolish daily.
TSRC:

Is buhari paying you?
For all we know, you are benefiting from an Igbo man or woman more than you will ever benefit from buhari.
Re: Ministerial nominees: Why Buhari dropped Dambazau, Kachikwu, Anwukah, others by TSRC: 9:55pm On Jul 28, 2019
exponential1:
Buhari is paying for telling the truth about foolish Igbos on NL who act foolish daily.
Your problem is like peak milk.
It's in you.
Re: Ministerial nominees: Why Buhari dropped Dambazau, Kachikwu, Anwukah, others by eagleeye2: 10:15pm On Jul 28, 2019
grin
Nemesis909:

Your point being?
You never understand how NL..works.
Re: Ministerial nominees: Why Buhari dropped Dambazau, Kachikwu, Anwukah, others by gtown: 10:20pm On Jul 28, 2019
TIGRITIS:
Imagine such a lengthy write-up which may just be based on assumption. undecided

Abi na buhari use im mouth tell you his reason?
Exactly my thought too. The write up is nothing but a wobble and fumble assumption from jankara analytics corner.

1 Like

Re: Ministerial nominees: Why Buhari dropped Dambazau, Kachikwu, Anwukah, others by toprealman: 10:22pm On Jul 28, 2019
Not a single line I. This annoying piece talk about competence.
Who did we really offend abeg?
Re: Ministerial nominees: Why Buhari dropped Dambazau, Kachikwu, Anwukah, others by Nobody: 10:30pm On Jul 28, 2019
They didn't lick his balls enough.
Re: Ministerial nominees: Why Buhari dropped Dambazau, Kachikwu, Anwukah, others by gtown: 10:49pm On Jul 28, 2019
This write up cannot compete with any wobble and fumble jankara market corner analysis.
Of course, nobody needs these junks analysis to know why some made it while others failed to. After all, who doesn't know that every happening has reason.
But someone suger cute speculative thinkings should not be sold to the public as if they come from the horse' mouth.

1 Like 1 Share

Re: Ministerial nominees: Why Buhari dropped Dambazau, Kachikwu, Anwukah, others by okaychris(m): 11:04pm On Jul 28, 2019
Well after the appointments what next from next level?. We are watching.
Re: Ministerial nominees: Why Buhari dropped Dambazau, Kachikwu, Anwukah, others by bluefilm: 11:15pm On Jul 28, 2019
TIGRITIS:
Imagine such a lengthy write-up which may just be based on assumption. undecided

Abi na buhari use im mouth tell you his reason?

I taya.
Re: Ministerial nominees: Why Buhari dropped Dambazau, Kachikwu, Anwukah, others by samonak(m): 11:56pm On Jul 28, 2019
My greatest Joy, is the fact that Gen. Dambazzau was not returned. He goes down in history as the most tribalized fellow in government, I started keeping track of his antecedents when he was Chief of Army staff, during that period almost all the GOCs, Corp Commanders and Commandant NDA were all northern muslims. It was only in medical corp that he couldn't try that nonsense because the 3 most senior officers were Christians. He still managed to replicate that feat when he became Minister of Interior, with all the heads of paramilitary from the north/muslim, it got to the extent where Niger state produced both the IGP n commandant Gen of NSCDC. Good riddance to rubbish.
Re: Ministerial nominees: Why Buhari dropped Dambazau, Kachikwu, Anwukah, others by sindan: 4:39am On Jul 29, 2019
Elchicolo:
After 54 days of suspense, President Muhammadu Buhari last Tuesday released the names of 43 ministerial nominees that were forwarded to the National Assembly for clearance; as he tries to cobble his cabinet for his second and final term.

The list, which has elicited divergent reactions, has 14 ministers that were retained; while 19 were replaced. The list is also the highest since Nigeria returned to democratic rule in 1999.

Those dropped included: Ex-minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau; Solomon Dalung (Sports); Adebayo Shittu (Communications); Suleiman Adamu (Water Resources); Ibe Kachikwu (Petroleum); Audu Ogbeh (Agriculture); Udo Udoma (Budget and National Planning); Ibrahim Usman Jibril (Environment); Khadija Bukar Ibrahim (ex-state minister, Foreign Affairs); Cladius Omoleye Daramola (ex-minister of state for Niger Delta); Prof Anthony Anwukah (ex-minister of state for Education); Aisha Alhassan (Women Affairs); Dan Ali (Defence); Okechukwu Enelamah (Trade, Investment and Industry); Aisha Abubakar (ex-minister of state, Trade and Investment); Heineken Lokpobiri (ex-minister of State for Agriculture); Isaac Adewole (Health); Abubakar Bawa Bwari (ex-minister of state for Solid Minerals); Usani Uguru; ex-minister of Niger Delta.



Kachikwu: Of all the 19 ministers that were dropped, the erstwhile Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu was the most anticipated because he had periodic squabbles with then Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr Maikanti Baru, a matter that snowballed into a protracted crisis of confidence.

On October 3, 2017, a lengthy letter dated August 30, 2017 and written by Kachikwu to President Buhari leaked to the public.

In the four-page letter, the former Petroleum Minister accused the former NNPC GMD of awarding $25billion contracts without consulting either his office or the NNPC board.

He further accused Baru of alleged insubordination, lack of adherence to due process and running a “bravado management style” that was capable of dwarfing the growth of the sector.

The matter, according to industry watchers, angered Baru’s backers believed to be influential politicians within the Presidency.

They considered Kachikwu’s letter an affront and swore not to see him return, despite the array of legendary projects he was supervising.

According to a top civil servant who craved anonymity, “since Kachikwu accused Baru of sidelining him, the power brokers ensured he remained sidelined till the end of the first tenure of President Buhari. They also ensured he never saw Buhari or succeeded in lobbying his way back a second time”.

Another ‘sin’ of Kachikwu was what was seen as his initial reluctance to aggressively resume oil exploration in the North as directed by Buhari in 2016.

He is also believed to be the sacrificial lamb in a power play between his backer, Theophilus Danjuma and the presidency over the blame game on rising insurgency.

Kachikwu was replaced with Festus Keyamo (Delta State), who was the Spokesman of the President Buhari Campaign Council for the 2019 election.



Usani: For the former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Usani Uguru Usani, his hopes of returning to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) were dashed because he was defeated in the intrigues of power play by Goddy Jeddy Agba who clinched the Cross Rivers State ministerial slot.

Sources at the presidency revealed that Usani’s first outing as a Minister was so tumultuous that three Permanent Secretaries served under him.

Sources confided in Sunday Sun that in his home state, Usani horribly divided and weakened the All Progressive Congress (APC) such that it was impossible to have a cohesive and formidable front. The development was linked to the loss of the party at the gubernatorial election.

He was also accused of causing some upsets at the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs. But a source in the ministry who spoke anonymously said that there was nothing unusual about having three Permanent Secretaries working under Usani.

“It was just a normal routine thing. Even the one that retired yesterday (Tuesday) attained the age of 60. So, there was nothing weird about it,” the source said.



Anwukah: In the case of the former Minister of State, Education, Prof. Anthony Anwukah, his non-return did not come as a surprise to the staff of the Federal Ministry of Education.

They attributed it to his poor performance and abrasive human relations; even with his personal staff.

In addition, many said he did not have a cordial working relationship with his superior, Mallam Adamu Adamu, who, unlike Anwukah enjoyed presidential patronage.

Anwukah, it was further gathered found it uncomfortable working with Adamu Adamu, who he feels possesses lower academic qualifications than himself.

Many believe that mindset gave rise to the power tussle that occurred in 2015 when they assumed office.

Adamu, apparently enjoying robust support from the presidential villa, frustrated Anwukah to the point that he threatened to resign. There were claims that Adamu took over the supervision of agencies and parastatals hitherto supervised by the minister of state.

According to analysts, the action made Anwukah redundant with little or no influence on the activities of the ministry. It was also gathered that Adamu appointed heads of agencies without Anwukah’s knowledge nor contributions.



Adewole: With regards to Prof. Isaac Adewole, the former Minister of Health, many expressed shock that he was not reappointed by President Buhari because the permutation was that he championed great reforms that should have guaranteed him a reappointment.

With his name not on the list, industry pundits are of the opinion that his running battle with Joint Health Workers Union (JOHESU) over welfare, remuneration and condition of service may have blighted his chances.

Nonetheless, it is on record that he championed the implementation of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) policy with has great impact on basic health care services.

Some officials of the ministry who pleaded anonymity said his inability to work closely with his then Minister of State, Dr. Osagie Ehinire, was also partly responsible for the poor records he had in some other areas of the healthcare system.

Some close observers claim the decision of the President was to compensate the ex-governor for his support and loyalty to the party, and to also keep him politically relevant in the state and beyond.



Udoma: Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, the former Minister of Budget and National Planning, exhibited a rare trait of a Nigerian public servant by asking President Buhari not to reappoint him a second time.

Ministry workers hailed him for his patriotism and said he would have ordinarily made it for a second term as a minister as he was in the good books of Buhari.



Ogbeh and Lokpobiri: In the case of Mr Audu Ogbeh, the erstwhile Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development and his Minister of State, Heineken Lokpobiri, many believe Buhari dumped them because of their woeful performance, especially Ogbeh’s.

Both Ogbeh and Lokpobiri were replaced with Senator George Akume and Timipre Silva from Benue and Bayelsa states, respectively.

Many insist that the shoes of Akinwumi Adesina, who was Ogbeh’s predecessor, were too big for him.

This was worsened by his inability to deliver his party, the All Progressive Congress (APC), in his polling unit at the last presidential polls.

The president’s henchmen thus felt it was better to retire aged Ogbeh since he has shown sufficient frailty both in politics and civil service.

Meanwhile, Lokpobiri, it was gathered, claimed to have told President Buhari not to reappoint him as he is running for the Bayelsa gubernatorial election slated for November 16.

The aforesaid notwithstanding, political pundits maintain that with or without Heineken’s gubernatorial ambition, his chances of returning as a minister were too slim because the APC was more disposed to compensating Silva who has failed on two occasions to become the governor of Bayelsa State.



Bwari: For Abubakar Bawa Bwari who served as Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development during President Muhammadu Buhari’s first term in office, his exclusion from the 2019 ministerial list was a surprise.

After the former Minister of Mines and Steel Development and current Executive Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, resigned and Abubakar Bwari took over the reins of leadership, making civil servants to have high hopes of his return.

He was preferred to a fresh appointee because as an insider, he is sufficiently experienced to man the ministry, rather than having a rookie that will spend months learning the ropes again.

Some members of staff of the ministry said: “Mining as a technical area, needs familiar faces rather than the traditional practice of reshuffling ministerial appointees and bringing in greenhorns. Stability is essential for the growth of the sector”.

Subsequent events and press conferences revealed Bwari’s interest to be among the ministerial nominees, but unfortunately he was excluded.

During an interaction with some civil servants in the ministry who did not want to be named, they said: “Whoever will come in, it will take him or her not less than six months depending on how smart the person learns to understand the workings of the ministry and the sector at large. This is what stunts the growth of the sector”.



Dambazau: As regards Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau, the immediate past Minister of Interior, his exclusion from the second term ministerial list was greeted with mixed feelings.

For those assessing him from a narrow ethnic prism, they insist he deserves kudos considering his efforts in ensuring that the heads of all the parastatals under his ministry came from one geographical zone of the country. But for the majority of Nigerians, dumping him was a more reasonable thing to do as ministers should reflect the heterogeneity and diversity of the country in all their dealings.

Under Dambazau, the headship of Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Nigeria Prison Services, Federal Fire Service and the Nigeria Police Force were all Muslims and from the northern part of the country.

If that did not vandalize his second term chances, then the January 16, 2016 video of Dambazau’s shoes being cleaned by his security detail, an official of the Department of State Security (DSS), did.

The 30-second viral video trended with the headline “Dambazau turns DSS officer into a shoe cleaner”.

The video showed the minister, dressed in white, sitting on a couch while the officer with a white handkerchief tried his best to ensure Dambazau’s shoes were shining.

Aside the aforesaid, many feel that the straw that broke the camel’s back and eventually consumed his second term ministerial ambition was the alleged rift between him and the governor of Kano State, Umar Ganduje.

Although his son was lucky to win House of Representatives ticket, his ‘sin’ according to sources, was not only declaring interest to contest the governorship ticket against Ganduje, but also allegedly joining forces with the faction that worked against the re-election of Ganduje as the Kano governor.

Obviously, yanking off his name from the ministerial list was a payback from the governor who personally endorsed the ministerial nominees from Kano State.



Dalung: In the case of Mr Solomon Dalung, the former Minister of Sports and Youth Development, his exclusion from the ministerial list did not certainly come as a shock to many sports-loving Nigerians. He is reputed to have plunged the ministry into a circus of crises such that many wished they could fast-track his exit.

Under Dalung’s watch, all the Sports Federations crumbled like a pack of cards due to one challenge or the other.

Since his assumption of office as the minister, the sports family never experienced any relative peace. From the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) to the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), it has been tales of woe. The fund scam at International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) has still not been unrivaled.

Under Dalung, the NFF and other sports federations were allegedly starved of the statutory monthly budgetary subvention for several months.

Apart from his multiple flaws in the sports circle, which earned him the derogatory description as the worst Sports Minister ever, his endless cold war with the governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, actually nailed his coffin.

Despite all the alleged atrocious acts as a minister, Dalung was quoted in the media to have bragged that nothing could rob him the chance of returning as Buhari’s minister a second time.

Again, based on his dressings, the alleged horrifying grammatical blunder of the funds ‘spended was properly spended’ among others, Darling was certainly the most maligned minister and as such only a handful of Nigerians expected his return.



Enelamah: At the Ministry of Industry Trade and Investment, many kicked against the reappointment of Dr Okechukwu Enelemah as minister.

According to industry watchers, Enelamah as an ex-Trade minister and the acting Managing Director of the Nigeria Export Processing of Nigeria Export Processing Zone Authority (NEPZA), Mr Terhemba Nongo were directed by the Senate to return N14.3 billion to the Federal Government from alleged opaque deals.

The directive was contained in a letter written by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Trade and Investment, Mr Mohammed Sabo. According to the Senate, the money was allegedly diverted from the 2017 budget of NEPZA.

In the letter, Mr Sabo asked the minister and the NEPZA boss to either return the N14.3 billion of face dire consequences.

The lawmaker had told journalists that the money was transferred from NEPZA account into the account of a private company, the Nigeria Special Economic Zone Company. He said the money was hurriedly transferred between April 8 and 10, ignoring an earlier warning not to do so.

He also said the money was first lodged in NEPZA’s account domiciled with the Central Bank of Nigeria, from 2017 budget allocations and thereafter moved into the private firm’s account.



Aisha Abubakar: Also, the Minister of State, Industry, Trade and Investment, Aisha Abubakar who was in charge of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in all the parastatals under the ministry did not make it back.

She was heavily criticized by industry operators for not making much impact in the ministry.

Though she was later drafted to oversee the Women Affairs Ministry, many were elated not to find her name on the ministerial list.

Alhassan: Aisha Alhassan popularly called Mama Taraba was the erstwhile Minister of Women Affairs.

While serving in Buhari’s administration, she openly showed loyalty to former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, who was also the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 elections.

While many thought Buhari will fire her for the obvious insubordination, the Presidency rather ignored her until she finally resigned on September 29, 2019 ahead of the 2019 elections to pursue a gubernatorial ambition, which she lost.

She tweeted: “Today, the 29th of September 2018, I wish to transmit to the President my decision to resign as the Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and withdraw my membership of the All Progressive Congress (APC),”

Not done, Alhassan stormed the APC office in Jalingo and retrieved all property she hitherto bought for the office. She was replaced by Aisha Abubakar, Minister of State, Trade and Investment.

Daramola: Cladius Omoleye Daramola, the ex-minister of state, Niger Delta was largely under the radar with many not knowing who he was. Ministry staff described him as a silent boss, just as industry stakeholders lamented that his impact was not felt and they believe it was what denied him a second chance at FEC.

Dan-Ali: For Mansur Dan-Ali, the former Minister of Defence, his return would have been a miracle judging from his glaring abysmal four-year performance.

Security experts and the public expressed endless shock over his inability to tackle banditry and terrorism in his state, Zamfara.

The development got so bad that traditional rulers in his state indicted him for being complicit.

Rather than tackle the issues, he was reported to was giving one excuse after the other as insecurity ravaged the North.

As a liability in the Buhari administration, he had to be dropped.

Shittu: Adebayo Shittu, the ex-communications minister was enmeshed in complex web of controversies.

Aside battling the controversies surrounding his evasion of the mandatory National Youth Service Corps, he was constantly at loggerheads with the APC and his governor, Abiola Ajumobi, who, in collaboration with the party, totally nailed his chances of governing the state.

What also worked against Shittu apart from the disagreement with his party, was his poor grasp of ICT, being the bedrock of his ministry. Though he conceded that he did not understand the complexities, stakeholders said he was also frighteningly slow at learning.

Bukar Ibrahim: Khadija Bukar Ibrahim, ex-state minister, Foreign Affairs did not incur the wrath of the power brokers, neither was she in the news for the wrong reasons.

Having served as a minister, she left to contest for House of Representatives ticket on the APC platform and won. She was hitherto at the lower chamber before becoming a minister.

She is currently the Chairman Ad-hoc Committee on Media at the House of Representatives.

Jubril: For Ibrahim Usman Jubril, the ex-minister of Environment, he tendered his resignation to become the 12th Emir of Nasarawa, Nasarawa State.

https://www.sunnewsonline.com/ministerial-nominees-why-buhari-dumped-ogbeh-dambazau-kachikwu-dalung-anwukah-others/
Re: Ministerial nominees: Why Buhari dropped Dambazau, Kachikwu, Anwukah, others by sindan: 4:41am On Jul 29, 2019
Elchicolo:
After 54 days of suspense, President Muhammadu Buhari last Tuesday released the names of 43 ministerial nominees that were forwarded to the National Assembly for clearance; as he tries to cobble his cabinet for his second and final term.

The list, which has elicited divergent reactions, has 14 ministers that were retained; while 19 were replaced. The list is also the highest since Nigeria returned to democratic rule in 1999.

Those dropped included: Ex-minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau; Solomon Dalung (Sports); Adebayo Shittu (Communications); Suleiman Adamu (Water Resources); Ibe Kachikwu (Petroleum); Audu Ogbeh (Agriculture); Udo Udoma (Budget and National Planning); Ibrahim Usman Jibril (Environment); Khadija Bukar Ibrahim (ex-state minister, Foreign Affairs); Cladius Omoleye Daramola (ex-minister of state for Niger Delta); Prof Anthony Anwukah (ex-minister of state for Education); Aisha Alhassan (Women Affairs); Dan Ali (Defence); Okechukwu Enelamah (Trade, Investment and Industry); Aisha Abubakar (ex-minister of state, Trade and Investment); Heineken Lokpobiri (ex-minister of State for Agriculture); Isaac Adewole (Health); Abubakar Bawa Bwari (ex-minister of state for Solid Minerals); Usani Uguru; ex-minister of Niger Delta.



Kachikwu: Of all the 19 ministers that were dropped, the erstwhile Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu was the most anticipated because he had periodic squabbles with then Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr Maikanti Baru, a matter that snowballed into a protracted crisis of confidence.

On October 3, 2017, a lengthy letter dated August 30, 2017 and written by Kachikwu to President Buhari leaked to the public.

In the four-page letter, the former Petroleum Minister accused the former NNPC GMD of awarding $25billion contracts without consulting either his office or the NNPC board.

He further accused Baru of alleged insubordination, lack of adherence to due process and running a “bravado management style” that was capable of dwarfing the growth of the sector.

The matter, according to industry watchers, angered Baru’s backers believed to be influential politicians within the Presidency.

They considered Kachikwu’s letter an affront and swore not to see him return, despite the array of legendary projects he was supervising.

According to a top civil servant who craved anonymity, “since Kachikwu accused Baru of sidelining him, the power brokers ensured he remained sidelined till the end of the first tenure of President Buhari. They also ensured he never saw Buhari or succeeded in lobbying his way back a second time”.

Another ‘sin’ of Kachikwu was what was seen as his initial reluctance to aggressively resume oil exploration in the North as directed by Buhari in 2016.

He is also believed to be the sacrificial lamb in a power play between his backer, Theophilus Danjuma and the presidency over the blame game on rising insurgency.

Kachikwu was replaced with Festus Keyamo (Delta State), who was the Spokesman of the President Buhari Campaign Council for the 2019 election.



Usani: For the former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Usani Uguru Usani, his hopes of returning to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) were dashed because he was defeated in the intrigues of power play by Goddy Jeddy Agba who clinched the Cross Rivers State ministerial slot.

Sources at the presidency revealed that Usani’s first outing as a Minister was so tumultuous that three Permanent Secretaries served under him.

Sources confided in Sunday Sun that in his home state, Usani horribly divided and weakened the All Progressive Congress (APC) such that it was impossible to have a cohesive and formidable front. The development was linked to the loss of the party at the gubernatorial election.

He was also accused of causing some upsets at the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs. But a source in the ministry who spoke anonymously said that there was nothing unusual about having three Permanent Secretaries working under Usani.

“It was just a normal routine thing. Even the one that retired yesterday (Tuesday) attained the age of 60. So, there was nothing weird about it,” the source said.



Anwukah: In the case of the former Minister of State, Education, Prof. Anthony Anwukah, his non-return did not come as a surprise to the staff of the Federal Ministry of Education.

They attributed it to his poor performance and abrasive human relations; even with his personal staff.

In addition, many said he did not have a cordial working relationship with his superior, Mallam Adamu Adamu, who, unlike Anwukah enjoyed presidential patronage.

Anwukah, it was further gathered found it uncomfortable working with Adamu Adamu, who he feels possesses lower academic qualifications than himself.

Many believe that mindset gave rise to the power tussle that occurred in 2015 when they assumed office.

Adamu, apparently enjoying robust support from the presidential villa, frustrated Anwukah to the point that he threatened to resign. There were claims that Adamu took over the supervision of agencies and parastatals hitherto supervised by the minister of state.

According to analysts, the action made Anwukah redundant with little or no influence on the activities of the ministry. It was also gathered that Adamu appointed heads of agencies without Anwukah’s knowledge nor contributions.



Adewole: With regards to Prof. Isaac Adewole, the former Minister of Health, many expressed shock that he was not reappointed by President Buhari because the permutation was that he championed great reforms that should have guaranteed him a reappointment.

With his name not on the list, industry pundits are of the opinion that his running battle with Joint Health Workers Union (JOHESU) over welfare, remuneration and condition of service may have blighted his chances.

Nonetheless, it is on record that he championed the implementation of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) policy with has great impact on basic health care services.

Some officials of the ministry who pleaded anonymity said his inability to work closely with his then Minister of State, Dr. Osagie Ehinire, was also partly responsible for the poor records he had in some other areas of the healthcare system.

Some close observers claim the decision of the President was to compensate the ex-governor for his support and loyalty to the party, and to also keep him politically relevant in the state and beyond.



Udoma: Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, the former Minister of Budget and National Planning, exhibited a rare trait of a Nigerian public servant by asking President Buhari not to reappoint him a second time.

Ministry workers hailed him for his patriotism and said he would have ordinarily made it for a second term as a minister as he was in the good books of Buhari.



Ogbeh and Lokpobiri: In the case of Mr Audu Ogbeh, the erstwhile Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development and his Minister of State, Heineken Lokpobiri, many believe Buhari dumped them because of their woeful performance, especially Ogbeh’s.

Both Ogbeh and Lokpobiri were replaced with Senator George Akume and Timipre Silva from Benue and Bayelsa states, respectively.

Many insist that the shoes of Akinwumi Adesina, who was Ogbeh’s predecessor, were too big for him.

This was worsened by his inability to deliver his party, the All Progressive Congress (APC), in his polling unit at the last presidential polls.

The president’s henchmen thus felt it was better to retire aged Ogbeh since he has shown sufficient frailty both in politics and civil service.

Meanwhile, Lokpobiri, it was gathered, claimed to have told President Buhari not to reappoint him as he is running for the Bayelsa gubernatorial election slated for November 16.

The aforesaid notwithstanding, political pundits maintain that with or without Heineken’s gubernatorial ambition, his chances of returning as a minister were too slim because the APC was more disposed to compensating Silva who has failed on two occasions to become the governor of Bayelsa State.



Bwari: For Abubakar Bawa Bwari who served as Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development during President Muhammadu Buhari’s first term in office, his exclusion from the 2019 ministerial list was a surprise.

After the former Minister of Mines and Steel Development and current Executive Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, resigned and Abubakar Bwari took over the reins of leadership, making civil servants to have high hopes of his return.

He was preferred to a fresh appointee because as an insider, he is sufficiently experienced to man the ministry, rather than having a rookie that will spend months learning the ropes again.

Some members of staff of the ministry said: “Mining as a technical area, needs familiar faces rather than the traditional practice of reshuffling ministerial appointees and bringing in greenhorns. Stability is essential for the growth of the sector”.

Subsequent events and press conferences revealed Bwari’s interest to be among the ministerial nominees, but unfortunately he was excluded.

During an interaction with some civil servants in the ministry who did not want to be named, they said: “Whoever will come in, it will take him or her not less than six months depending on how smart the person learns to understand the workings of the ministry and the sector at large. This is what stunts the growth of the sector”.



Dambazau: As regards Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau, the immediate past Minister of Interior, his exclusion from the second term ministerial list was greeted with mixed feelings.

For those assessing him from a narrow ethnic prism, they insist he deserves kudos considering his efforts in ensuring that the heads of all the parastatals under his ministry came from one geographical zone of the country. But for the majority of Nigerians, dumping him was a more reasonable thing to do as ministers should reflect the heterogeneity and diversity of the country in all their dealings.

Under Dambazau, the headship of Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Nigeria Prison Services, Federal Fire Service and the Nigeria Police Force were all Muslims and from the northern part of the country.

If that did not vandalize his second term chances, then the January 16, 2016 video of Dambazau’s shoes being cleaned by his security detail, an official of the Department of State Security (DSS), did.

The 30-second viral video trended with the headline “Dambazau turns DSS officer into a shoe cleaner”.

The video showed the minister, dressed in white, sitting on a couch while the officer with a white handkerchief tried his best to ensure Dambazau’s shoes were shining.

Aside the aforesaid, many feel that the straw that broke the camel’s back and eventually consumed his second term ministerial ambition was the alleged rift between him and the governor of Kano State, Umar Ganduje.

Although his son was lucky to win House of Representatives ticket, his ‘sin’ according to sources, was not only declaring interest to contest the governorship ticket against Ganduje, but also allegedly joining forces with the faction that worked against the re-election of Ganduje as the Kano governor.

Obviously, yanking off his name from the ministerial list was a payback from the governor who personally endorsed the ministerial nominees from Kano State.



Dalung: In the case of Mr Solomon Dalung, the former Minister of Sports and Youth Development, his exclusion from the ministerial list did not certainly come as a shock to many sports-loving Nigerians. He is reputed to have plunged the ministry into a circus of crises such that many wished they could fast-track his exit.

Under Dalung’s watch, all the Sports Federations crumbled like a pack of cards due to one challenge or the other.

Since his assumption of office as the minister, the sports family never experienced any relative peace. From the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) to the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), it has been tales of woe. The fund scam at International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) has still not been unrivaled.

Under Dalung, the NFF and other sports federations were allegedly starved of the statutory monthly budgetary subvention for several months.

Apart from his multiple flaws in the sports circle, which earned him the derogatory description as the worst Sports Minister ever, his endless cold war with the governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, actually nailed his coffin.

Despite all the alleged atrocious acts as a minister, Dalung was quoted in the media to have bragged that nothing could rob him the chance of returning as Buhari’s minister a second time.

Again, based on his dressings, the alleged horrifying grammatical blunder of the funds ‘spended was properly spended’ among others, Darling was certainly the most maligned minister and as such only a handful of Nigerians expected his return.



Enelamah: At the Ministry of Industry Trade and Investment, many kicked against the reappointment of Dr Okechukwu Enelemah as minister.

According to industry watchers, Enelamah as an ex-Trade minister and the acting Managing Director of the Nigeria Export Processing of Nigeria Export Processing Zone Authority (NEPZA), Mr Terhemba Nongo were directed by the Senate to return N14.3 billion to the Federal Government from alleged opaque deals.

The directive was contained in a letter written by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Trade and Investment, Mr Mohammed Sabo. According to the Senate, the money was allegedly diverted from the 2017 budget of NEPZA.

In the letter, Mr Sabo asked the minister and the NEPZA boss to either return the N14.3 billion of face dire consequences.

The lawmaker had told journalists that the money was transferred from NEPZA account into the account of a private company, the Nigeria Special Economic Zone Company. He said the money was hurriedly transferred between April 8 and 10, ignoring an earlier warning not to do so.

He also said the money was first lodged in NEPZA’s account domiciled with the Central Bank of Nigeria, from 2017 budget allocations and thereafter moved into the private firm’s account.



Aisha Abubakar: Also, the Minister of State, Industry, Trade and Investment, Aisha Abubakar who was in charge of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in all the parastatals under the ministry did not make it back.

She was heavily criticized by industry operators for not making much impact in the ministry.

Though she was later drafted to oversee the Women Affairs Ministry, many were elated not to find her name on the ministerial list.

Alhassan: Aisha Alhassan popularly called Mama Taraba was the erstwhile Minister of Women Affairs.

While serving in Buhari’s administration, she openly showed loyalty to former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, who was also the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 elections.

While many thought Buhari will fire her for the obvious insubordination, the Presidency rather ignored her until she finally resigned on September 29, 2019 ahead of the 2019 elections to pursue a gubernatorial ambition, which she lost.

She tweeted: “Today, the 29th of September 2018, I wish to transmit to the President my decision to resign as the Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and withdraw my membership of the All Progressive Congress (APC),”

Not done, Alhassan stormed the APC office in Jalingo and retrieved all property she hitherto bought for the office. She was replaced by Aisha Abubakar, Minister of State, Trade and Investment.

Daramola: Cladius Omoleye Daramola, the ex-minister of state, Niger Delta was largely under the radar with many not knowing who he was. Ministry staff described him as a silent boss, just as industry stakeholders lamented that his impact was not felt and they believe it was what denied him a second chance at FEC.

Dan-Ali: For Mansur Dan-Ali, the former Minister of Defence, his return would have been a miracle judging from his glaring abysmal four-year performance.

Security experts and the public expressed endless shock over his inability to tackle banditry and terrorism in his state, Zamfara.

The development got so bad that traditional rulers in his state indicted him for being complicit.

Rather than tackle the issues, he was reported to was giving one excuse after the other as insecurity ravaged the North.

As a liability in the Buhari administration, he had to be dropped.

Shittu: Adebayo Shittu, the ex-communications minister was enmeshed in complex web of controversies.

Aside battling the controversies surrounding his evasion of the mandatory National Youth Service Corps, he was constantly at loggerheads with the APC and his governor, Abiola Ajumobi, who, in collaboration with the party, totally nailed his chances of governing the state.

What also worked against Shittu apart from the disagreement with his party, was his poor grasp of ICT, being the bedrock of his ministry. Though he conceded that he did not understand the complexities, stakeholders said he was also frighteningly slow at learning.

Bukar Ibrahim: Khadija Bukar Ibrahim, ex-state minister, Foreign Affairs did not incur the wrath of the power brokers, neither was she in the news for the wrong reasons.

Having served as a minister, she left to contest for House of Representatives ticket on the APC platform and won. She was hitherto at the lower chamber before becoming a minister.

She is currently the Chairman Ad-hoc Committee on Media at the House of Representatives.

Jubril: For Ibrahim Usman Jubril, the ex-minister of Environment, he tendered his resignation to become the 12th Emir of Nasarawa, Nasarawa State.

https://www.sunnewsonline.com/ministerial-nominees-why-buhari-dumped-ogbeh-dambazau-kachikwu-dalung-anwukah-others/

Nonsense
Re: Ministerial nominees: Why Buhari dropped Dambazau, Kachikwu, Anwukah, others by sindan: 4:42am On Jul 29, 2019
Elchicolo:
After 54 days of suspense, President Muhammadu Buhari last Tuesday released the names of 43 ministerial nominees that were forwarded to the National Assembly for clearance; as he tries to cobble his cabinet for his second and final term.

The list, which has elicited divergent reactions, has 14 ministers that were retained; while 19 were replaced. The list is also the highest since Nigeria returned to democratic rule in 1999.

Those dropped included: Ex-minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau; Solomon Dalung (Sports); Adebayo Shittu (Communications); Suleiman Adamu (Water Resources); Ibe Kachikwu (Petroleum); Audu Ogbeh (Agriculture); Udo Udoma (Budget and National Planning); Ibrahim Usman Jibril (Environment); Khadija Bukar Ibrahim (ex-state minister, Foreign Affairs); Cladius Omoleye Daramola (ex-minister of state for Niger Delta); Prof Anthony Anwukah (ex-minister of state for Education); Aisha Alhassan (Women Affairs); Dan Ali (Defence); Okechukwu Enelamah (Trade, Investment and Industry); Aisha Abubakar (ex-minister of state, Trade and Investment); Heineken Lokpobiri (ex-minister of State for Agriculture); Isaac Adewole (Health); Abubakar Bawa Bwari (ex-minister of state for Solid Minerals); Usani Uguru; ex-minister of Niger Delta.



Kachikwu: Of all the 19 ministers that were dropped, the erstwhile Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu was the most anticipated because he had periodic squabbles with then Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr Maikanti Baru, a matter that snowballed into a protracted crisis of confidence.

On October 3, 2017, a lengthy letter dated August 30, 2017 and written by Kachikwu to President Buhari leaked to the public.

In the four-page letter, the former Petroleum Minister accused the former NNPC GMD of awarding $25billion contracts without consulting either his office or the NNPC board.

He further accused Baru of alleged insubordination, lack of adherence to due process and running a “bravado management style” that was capable of dwarfing the growth of the sector.

The matter, according to industry watchers, angered Baru’s backers believed to be influential politicians within the Presidency.

They considered Kachikwu’s letter an affront and swore not to see him return, despite the array of legendary projects he was supervising.

According to a top civil servant who craved anonymity, “since Kachikwu accused Baru of sidelining him, the power brokers ensured he remained sidelined till the end of the first tenure of President Buhari. They also ensured he never saw Buhari or succeeded in lobbying his way back a second time”.

Another ‘sin’ of Kachikwu was what was seen as his initial reluctance to aggressively resume oil exploration in the North as directed by Buhari in 2016.

He is also believed to be the sacrificial lamb in a power play between his backer, Theophilus Danjuma and the presidency over the blame game on rising insurgency.

Kachikwu was replaced with Festus Keyamo (Delta State), who was the Spokesman of the President Buhari Campaign Council for the 2019 election.



Usani: For the former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Usani Uguru Usani, his hopes of returning to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) were dashed because he was defeated in the intrigues of power play by Goddy Jeddy Agba who clinched the Cross Rivers State ministerial slot.

Sources at the presidency revealed that Usani’s first outing as a Minister was so tumultuous that three Permanent Secretaries served under him.

Sources confided in Sunday Sun that in his home state, Usani horribly divided and weakened the All Progressive Congress (APC) such that it was impossible to have a cohesive and formidable front. The development was linked to the loss of the party at the gubernatorial election.

He was also accused of causing some upsets at the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs. But a source in the ministry who spoke anonymously said that there was nothing unusual about having three Permanent Secretaries working under Usani.

“It was just a normal routine thing. Even the one that retired yesterday (Tuesday) attained the age of 60. So, there was nothing weird about it,” the source said.



Anwukah: In the case of the former Minister of State, Education, Prof. Anthony Anwukah, his non-return did not come as a surprise to the staff of the Federal Ministry of Education.

They attributed it to his poor performance and abrasive human relations; even with his personal staff.

In addition, many said he did not have a cordial working relationship with his superior, Mallam Adamu Adamu, who, unlike Anwukah enjoyed presidential patronage.

Anwukah, it was further gathered found it uncomfortable working with Adamu Adamu, who he feels possesses lower academic qualifications than himself.

Many believe that mindset gave rise to the power tussle that occurred in 2015 when they assumed office.

Adamu, apparently enjoying robust support from the presidential villa, frustrated Anwukah to the point that he threatened to resign. There were claims that Adamu took over the supervision of agencies and parastatals hitherto supervised by the minister of state.

According to analysts, the action made Anwukah redundant with little or no influence on the activities of the ministry. It was also gathered that Adamu appointed heads of agencies without Anwukah’s knowledge nor contributions.



Adewole: With regards to Prof. Isaac Adewole, the former Minister of Health, many expressed shock that he was not reappointed by President Buhari because the permutation was that he championed great reforms that should have guaranteed him a reappointment.

With his name not on the list, industry pundits are of the opinion that his running battle with Joint Health Workers Union (JOHESU) over welfare, remuneration and condition of service may have blighted his chances.

Nonetheless, it is on record that he championed the implementation of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) policy with has great impact on basic health care services.

Some officials of the ministry who pleaded anonymity said his inability to work closely with his then Minister of State, Dr. Osagie Ehinire, was also partly responsible for the poor records he had in some other areas of the healthcare system.

Some close observers claim the decision of the President was to compensate the ex-governor for his support and loyalty to the party, and to also keep him politically relevant in the state and beyond.



Udoma: Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, the former Minister of Budget and National Planning, exhibited a rare trait of a Nigerian public servant by asking President Buhari not to reappoint him a second time.

Ministry workers hailed him for his patriotism and said he would have ordinarily made it for a second term as a minister as he was in the good books of Buhari.



Ogbeh and Lokpobiri: In the case of Mr Audu Ogbeh, the erstwhile Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development and his Minister of State, Heineken Lokpobiri, many believe Buhari dumped them because of their woeful performance, especially Ogbeh’s.

Both Ogbeh and Lokpobiri were replaced with Senator George Akume and Timipre Silva from Benue and Bayelsa states, respectively.

Many insist that the shoes of Akinwumi Adesina, who was Ogbeh’s predecessor, were too big for him.

This was worsened by his inability to deliver his party, the All Progressive Congress (APC), in his polling unit at the last presidential polls.

The president’s henchmen thus felt it was better to retire aged Ogbeh since he has shown sufficient frailty both in politics and civil service.

Meanwhile, Lokpobiri, it was gathered, claimed to have told President Buhari not to reappoint him as he is running for the Bayelsa gubernatorial election slated for November 16.

The aforesaid notwithstanding, political pundits maintain that with or without Heineken’s gubernatorial ambition, his chances of returning as a minister were too slim because the APC was more disposed to compensating Silva who has failed on two occasions to become the governor of Bayelsa State.



Bwari: For Abubakar Bawa Bwari who served as Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development during President Muhammadu Buhari’s first term in office, his exclusion from the 2019 ministerial list was a surprise.

After the former Minister of Mines and Steel Development and current Executive Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, resigned and Abubakar Bwari took over the reins of leadership, making civil servants to have high hopes of his return.

He was preferred to a fresh appointee because as an insider, he is sufficiently experienced to man the ministry, rather than having a rookie that will spend months learning the ropes again.

Some members of staff of the ministry said: “Mining as a technical area, needs familiar faces rather than the traditional practice of reshuffling ministerial appointees and bringing in greenhorns. Stability is essential for the growth of the sector”.

Subsequent events and press conferences revealed Bwari’s interest to be among the ministerial nominees, but unfortunately he was excluded.

During an interaction with some civil servants in the ministry who did not want to be named, they said: “Whoever will come in, it will take him or her not less than six months depending on how smart the person learns to understand the workings of the ministry and the sector at large. This is what stunts the growth of the sector”.



Dambazau: As regards Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau, the immediate past Minister of Interior, his exclusion from the second term ministerial list was greeted with mixed feelings.

For those assessing him from a narrow ethnic prism, they insist he deserves kudos considering his efforts in ensuring that the heads of all the parastatals under his ministry came from one geographical zone of the country. But for the majority of Nigerians, dumping him was a more reasonable thing to do as ministers should reflect the heterogeneity and diversity of the country in all their dealings.

Under Dambazau, the headship of Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Nigeria Prison Services, Federal Fire Service and the Nigeria Police Force were all Muslims and from the northern part of the country.

If that did not vandalize his second term chances, then the January 16, 2016 video of Dambazau’s shoes being cleaned by his security detail, an official of the Department of State Security (DSS), did.

The 30-second viral video trended with the headline “Dambazau turns DSS officer into a shoe cleaner”.

The video showed the minister, dressed in white, sitting on a couch while the officer with a white handkerchief tried his best to ensure Dambazau’s shoes were shining.

Aside the aforesaid, many feel that the straw that broke the camel’s back and eventually consumed his second term ministerial ambition was the alleged rift between him and the governor of Kano State, Umar Ganduje.

Although his son was lucky to win House of Representatives ticket, his ‘sin’ according to sources, was not only declaring interest to contest the governorship ticket against Ganduje, but also allegedly joining forces with the faction that worked against the re-election of Ganduje as the Kano governor.

Obviously, yanking off his name from the ministerial list was a payback from the governor who personally endorsed the ministerial nominees from Kano State.



Dalung: In the case of Mr Solomon Dalung, the former Minister of Sports and Youth Development, his exclusion from the ministerial list did not certainly come as a shock to many sports-loving Nigerians. He is reputed to have plunged the ministry into a circus of crises such that many wished they could fast-track his exit.

Under Dalung’s watch, all the Sports Federations crumbled like a pack of cards due to one challenge or the other.

Since his assumption of office as the minister, the sports family never experienced any relative peace. From the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) to the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), it has been tales of woe. The fund scam at International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) has still not been unrivaled.

Under Dalung, the NFF and other sports federations were allegedly starved of the statutory monthly budgetary subvention for several months.

Apart from his multiple flaws in the sports circle, which earned him the derogatory description as the worst Sports Minister ever, his endless cold war with the governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, actually nailed his coffin.

Despite all the alleged atrocious acts as a minister, Dalung was quoted in the media to have bragged that nothing could rob him the chance of returning as Buhari’s minister a second time.

Again, based on his dressings, the alleged horrifying grammatical blunder of the funds ‘spended was properly spended’ among others, Darling was certainly the most maligned minister and as such only a handful of Nigerians expected his return.



Enelamah: At the Ministry of Industry Trade and Investment, many kicked against the reappointment of Dr Okechukwu Enelemah as minister.

According to industry watchers, Enelamah as an ex-Trade minister and the acting Managing Director of the Nigeria Export Processing of Nigeria Export Processing Zone Authority (NEPZA), Mr Terhemba Nongo were directed by the Senate to return N14.3 billion to the Federal Government from alleged opaque deals.

The directive was contained in a letter written by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Trade and Investment, Mr Mohammed Sabo. According to the Senate, the money was allegedly diverted from the 2017 budget of NEPZA.

In the letter, Mr Sabo asked the minister and the NEPZA boss to either return the N14.3 billion of face dire consequences.

The lawmaker had told journalists that the money was transferred from NEPZA account into the account of a private company, the Nigeria Special Economic Zone Company. He said the money was hurriedly transferred between April 8 and 10, ignoring an earlier warning not to do so.

He also said the money was first lodged in NEPZA’s account domiciled with the Central Bank of Nigeria, from 2017 budget allocations and thereafter moved into the private firm’s account.



Aisha Abubakar: Also, the Minister of State, Industry, Trade and Investment, Aisha Abubakar who was in charge of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in all the parastatals under the ministry did not make it back.

She was heavily criticized by industry operators for not making much impact in the ministry.

Though she was later drafted to oversee the Women Affairs Ministry, many were elated not to find her name on the ministerial list.

Alhassan: Aisha Alhassan popularly called Mama Taraba was the erstwhile Minister of Women Affairs.

While serving in Buhari’s administration, she openly showed loyalty to former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, who was also the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 elections.

While many thought Buhari will fire her for the obvious insubordination, the Presidency rather ignored her until she finally resigned on September 29, 2019 ahead of the 2019 elections to pursue a gubernatorial ambition, which she lost.

She tweeted: “Today, the 29th of September 2018, I wish to transmit to the President my decision to resign as the Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and withdraw my membership of the All Progressive Congress (APC),”

Not done, Alhassan stormed the APC office in Jalingo and retrieved all property she hitherto bought for the office. She was replaced by Aisha Abubakar, Minister of State, Trade and Investment.

Daramola: Cladius Omoleye Daramola, the ex-minister of state, Niger Delta was largely under the radar with many not knowing who he was. Ministry staff described him as a silent boss, just as industry stakeholders lamented that his impact was not felt and they believe it was what denied him a second chance at FEC.

Dan-Ali: For Mansur Dan-Ali, the former Minister of Defence, his return would have been a miracle judging from his glaring abysmal four-year performance.

Security experts and the public expressed endless shock over his inability to tackle banditry and terrorism in his state, Zamfara.

The development got so bad that traditional rulers in his state indicted him for being complicit.

Rather than tackle the issues, he was reported to was giving one excuse after the other as insecurity ravaged the North.

As a liability in the Buhari administration, he had to be dropped.

Shittu: Adebayo Shittu, the ex-communications minister was enmeshed in complex web of controversies.

Aside battling the controversies surrounding his evasion of the mandatory National Youth Service Corps, he was constantly at loggerheads with the APC and his governor, Abiola Ajumobi, who, in collaboration with the party, totally nailed his chances of governing the state.

What also worked against Shittu apart from the disagreement with his party, was his poor grasp of ICT, being the bedrock of his ministry. Though he conceded that he did not understand the complexities, stakeholders said he was also frighteningly slow at learning.

Bukar Ibrahim: Khadija Bukar Ibrahim, ex-state minister, Foreign Affairs did not incur the wrath of the power brokers, neither was she in the news for the wrong reasons.

Having served as a minister, she left to contest for House of Representatives ticket on the APC platform and won. She was hitherto at the lower chamber before becoming a minister.

She is currently the Chairman Ad-hoc Committee on Media at the House of Representatives.

Jubril: For Ibrahim Usman Jubril, the ex-minister of Environment, he tendered his resignation to become the 12th Emir of Nasarawa, Nasarawa State.

https://www.sunnewsonline.com/ministerial-nominees-why-buhari-dumped-ogbeh-dambazau-kachikwu-dalung-anwukah-others/

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