Less than 3 weeks to the start of the next administration, and the usual suspects are conspiring to ensue that GEJ is saddled with a team of non-performers. I have a suggestion: why don't we draw up a list of people, arguing why Mr. A should be appointed, retained, or removed, and publish a Nairaland shortlist. It might be ignored, but it'll be fun.  For instance, for supporting the removal of the import ban on toothpicks, furniture, et al, Aganga, the Minister of Finance, should be shown the door. And maybe even arrested for what I'm calling an act of treason. Allow me to kick things off by nominating, for retention in the cabinet, Iyom Josephine Anenih, Minister of Women Affairs. My reasons are contained in the severely edited article below, which reads in full like the literary equivalent of a praise singer's ode to the Minister of Defence: http://welcome2nigeria.net/?p=49453
Lobbying Dangerously,
Posted on 10 May 2011.
Editorial:
The night after President Goodluck Jonathan was given his certificate of return by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), lobbyist came knocking in drove on the doors of the Villa. It is highly anticipated that politicians across party boards and godfathers will take advantage of their closeness to the President to lobby for their candidate to have a place in his cabinet.
The current disagreement between the Presidential Advisory Councils and Politicians of the PDP extract on the quality of persons who should occupy a place in Jonathan’s cabinet is no longer news. It is very common to find politicians going against serious national matter that does not favour them. The only reason one can adduce for their attitude is free assess to power and funds.
The issue concerning the future of the current ministers is one thing Nigerians are quite attracted to. Who deserve to stay or go should be the subject of how much they have done to earn a reappointment (although, all appointment is at the discretion of the President). Should a performing minister be replaced by a failed governor because the latter was the chief executive officer of his state? This is another matter for another day.
If one is to judge from the performance of the current ministers, it is likely that less than 25 percent of them may come back. It is over a year now virtually all of them were appointed except for some few whose appointment came later on, but despite that, Nigerians are still wondering what impact or positive change some of them can hold onto to as having done well.
In some Ministries, it is pathetic to know that their ministers are fair weather politicians and opportunists who want to cash into the victory of the President in their State to bargain for a reappointment. Some of these ministers have for a year slept and failed on their ability and privilege to serve the country properly only to be jolted by the quest to get reappointed by flashing artificial programmes on the media to gain attention.
Across board of the current cabinet, it is very simple to hand-pick those who have performed and done the country proud. Nigerians know their own, but time will not permit me to treat their individual achievements in details but will chose to duel briefly on the achievement of just two current serving ministers; Prince Adetokunbo Kayode and Chief (Mrs.) Josephine Anenih Esq . There is so much to also admire in the performance of the Honourable Ministers of Petroleum (Mrs. Dieziani Allison Madueke), Honourable Minister of Education (Professor Rukayat Rufai), Honourable Ministers of Foreign Affairs (Odein Ajumogobia SAN, Dr. Aliyu Idi Hong, Hajia Salamatu Ibrahim), The Attorney General and Honourable Minister of Justice (Mohammed Adoke SAN., Honourable Minister of the FCT, Sanator Bala Mohammed.
For instance, the Ministry of Defence has within a year witness tremendous transformation internally and externally. The ministry and the force this time has been reengineered to take a bold step into actualizing concrete defence plan that enhances the professional well being of men and women of the Armed Force from bottom to top.
Apart from the total reengineering of the barrack rehabilitation project to fit due process and give a true sense of purpose to the welfare of men and women of the Armed Forces, recently, Nigerians were woken by the good news that qualified young women can now be enlisted into the Nigeria Defense Academy (NDA) which was never in existence before now. NDA was strictly a male military affair. This development in the nation’s defence sector is a welcome approach to give every one a true sense of belonging regardless of their sex in national security issues like it is done in the advance country.
Another achiever of note in the cabinet of President Goodluck Jonathan is Chief (Barrister), Mrs. Josephine Iyom Anenih, the Hourable Minister of Women Affairs. She has earned a veritable place in the hearts of the general public, especially the women. The confidence and trust she has built for her self amongst women is what she has been able to readapt to favour the generality of the women folks and the less privileged. She has been nick named the ‘Women General’ because of her astute strategy in mobilizing and coordinating women across the country for developmental significance. In matters relating to the betterment of the Nigerian women, Chief (Mrs.) Anenih speaks it as much as she actions it.
She has a resounding history of achievement back in her days as women leader in the Peoples Democratic Party. Her rich experience is what she has brought to bare in the ministry of Women Affairs.
All the programmes the minister initiated, planned and carried out in the ministry of women affairs were remarkably successful. One of her outstanding performances is her ability of been able to forcefully and successfully bring women matters to the front burner of national discuss.
Nigerian women came out in drove to support the electoral process and as well mobilized for the 2011 election was the ground work of Chief Mrs. Anenih because of the trust they have for her. And the role women eventually played in the election of President Goodluck Jonathan as Nigeria’s President elect found its root partly in the rich soil of Chief (Mrs.) Anenihs women farm yard; not only because she has a formidable women structure and contact built over the years but also for the simple reason of earning loyal followers across the country and the strategy of making them important.
Chief (Mrs.) Anenih brought a unique touch to women issues in the national political circle. No doubt, she brought women to the centre. She feels the constant acronym of addressing women always as mothers is a grand design and scheme to deny them what the society truly owes them. She feels ‘women’ is a better general terminology to be used in programmes than mothers. She believes that ‘women’ better covers the identity of all women folks, including mothers and that the burden of discrimination and other anti women matters or issues that deny them development and full participation in governance is hither to hinged upon how women are perceived generally, more so, when the society sees them only as mothers whose duties only ends at home, devoid of intrinsic capabilities necessary to manage governance.
Women Affairs Ministry, before the advent of Chief Josphine Iyom Anenih was more or less a dead-end; no innovations and creativity. Nigerian women did not have confidence in the ministry because of previous experience in leadership failure. Before Chief (Mrs) Anenih was appointed, Nigerians did not believe that any good things can come out of the ministry. But Chief (mrs.) Josephine Anenih’s professional touch, courage and homely strength saw the ministry through a lot of decisive programmes that have catapulted the women folks to a place of national and international recognition. This positive approach and achievement has opened a vista of partnership between the ministry and UN Agencies for women issues and other numerous international women development agencies.
Her achievement and drive was part of the momentum that galvanized the positive spirit that eventually created the platform that saw huge participation of women in the 2011 election.
As a journalist, we have been trained to balance issues, but that is not to say that when we see good things we should not speak well of them for others to know how good it is they are.
Nigerians do not anticipate that all the current ministers in the cabinet of President Goodluck Jonathan’s will come back. Regardless of the role some of them may have played in ensuring that the President won in their respective state. The question is that, did they perform? What is their achievement that we warrant a reappointment?
In part or whole, the President’s four years in office must not be wasted by failed politicians; it is a very decisive period Nigerians are very hopeful to get close to their dreams and as such will not be ready to have failed politicians around to scuttle their democratic benefits.
It is a welcome development to gather that the President is angling his cabinet on technocrats and the private sector. With this approach there will definitely be a strong sense of responsibility in governance like we have not had in the past. The constitution of the President’s new cabinet, no doubt will indicate the direction of his government in the next four years.
As investigated from the streets of Nigeria has shown, the pulse of Nigerians is that President Jonathan should seriously consider retaining some of the current cabinet members, and let the renewal of their appointments be based on their achievements, but however, should not ignore the advice of the Presidential Advisory Council.
There is no crime in lobbying, and if achievers must lobby let their performance be the indices of considering their reappointment.
PDP!!!FYI, I do not know this writer, and I did not pay anyone for this magnificently adulatory article. Also, I lurve Ajumogobia, Foreign Affairs Minister. He's sooooo refined and well-mannered - the perfect image of Nigeria I'm happy for the world to see. |
