ARISE News Analyst, Sam Amadi, examined President Bola Tinubu’s newly inaugurated ministerial cabinet members after recently reshuffling portfolios previously given to some of them.
Tinubu inaugurated the ministers three months after inauguration into office. Out of the 48 names submitted to the National Assembly , 45 confirmed designates were appointed.
Some of the positions include Nyesome Wike as Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Olawale Edun as Financial and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Festus Keyamo as the Aviation and Aerospace Development, Betta Edu as Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, amongst others.
In an interview on Monday, Sam Amadi stated that despite the call for reduction in cost of governance, the main focus should not be in the numbers of the ministry but in the function of the ministry and internal costs.
“I can pardon the president who adds three or four new ministries but I want to see definition. What is it that these ministries are supposed to do differently? That’s making a case for a new ministry.
“We have 45 ministers but that’s not where the cost is. The cost is will this government do something different or will the people of the national assembly still take home that massive fund they take home which is not required in anyway for effective parliamentary work?
“We have to reduce them back to lawmaking and oversight. Let the oversight rest upon the bureaucracy of the national assembly not national assembly officers travelling all over the world. So that’s really how we cut down on cost of governance.
“Yes, we need to remove duplication of functions. For example I wouldn’t think we need a ministry of tourism and even if we do tourism boards and agencies exist. So there is no reason to have a ministry of tourism, in my opinion.”
Concerning the recent reshuffling of positions, he stated, “This is the first time in History that we are going to change the cabinet before it was inaugurated. This has never happened before. You got them confirmed, they haven’t even been inaugurated and you’re making changes.
“It speaks to one thing; either tardiness, that he didn’t look at it properly and make a decision that shows rigour. or it is a reversible phenomenon, so if there are political pushes, then something changes.”
Dr. Amadi stated that he initially saw the removal of the Niger Delta Ministry removal as tactical to focus the duties on Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and other agencies but was later reinstated. “Is it because there was oversight of understanding or because Niger Deltans spoke up about not being happy and the president had ti change his mind? Yes it maybe responsible but it shows the level of detailing, rigour and deliberation you expect at the beginning of a presidency before it gets phased by the political storms that are going to come.
“At this point we want to see accuracy and decisiveness.”
Glamour Adah
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