Buhari: Why There Is So Much Anxiety Over Ministers?

Buhari: Why There Is So Much Anxiety Over Ministers?

Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari in an interview granted to the ARISE News, speaks about his ministerial list.

Buhari: Why There Is So Much Anxiety Over Ministers?
Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari at the meeting of the Lake Chad Basin commission in Abuja.

The leader of the country said that he was in no hurry to nominate ministers, questioning why there was so much anxiety over the make up of his cabinet.

He said: “I don’t know why people are so anxious for the ministers. But eventually we will have them.

READ ALSO: Buhari’s Cabinet: List Of The Supposed Ministers

“The main reason is that I had a Transition Committee which I agreed with former President Goodluck Jonathan that the ministers of the outgone government should handover their notes and documents to this Transition Committee so that we could be prepared.

“The ministers knew that they were going but the technocrats, permanent secretaries and so on, knew they will remain. So if anything goes wrong, they will be invited to explain.

“Unfortunately, the outgone government did not cooperate, so what the committee did was to divide itself into about five sub-committees, and I (only) got the report I think three days ago.

“I was waiting for that report because I would like to know what positions there are in the government, especially in terms of the finance and petroleum portfolios. So I’m not in a hurry to get ministers,” Nigeria’s leader stated.

Among other topics Buhari also spoke on the election of the leadership of National Assembly.

On Senate President, Bukola Saraki, the president was of the view that it was left to members of the National Assembly to sort out any division.

He draw the analogy with party’s primaries before presidential election: “For example, when we came to our party’s primary for the presidential election, four of us stood (in the primary). There was no problem because it is part of the system.

“I happened to win and they agreed there and then that we should all work for the party. But unfortunately, in this National Assembly, there was a division. So it’s up to them (legislators) to sort it out.”

READ ALSO: People Who Share Buhari's Values To Form His Cabinet

There is a system in the National Assembly – the House of Representatives and the Senate – they have got their own criteria for choosing their leaders,” he added.

We had a meeting and I told the party’s caucus that I’m not going to interfere, because constitutionally, I have (sic) no role as president-elect to tell the party who to recommend or put (forward) as a candidate.

“The party didn’t want to present two candidates because if they presented two candidates, what we heard occurred (would have) eventually happened.”

Indicating the agreement between Saraki and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), President Buhari noted that “one of the candidates went and got the support of the former ruling party, and he divided our party”.

That was why the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was not satisfied about it.

The party ran a primary and Senator Ahmad Lawan who was competing with Saraki won to become APC’s aspirant in the Senate.

It would be recalled that Buhari on June 14, ordered the release of $21 million (N4.16 billion) out of the $100 million promised by Nigeria to the Multi-national Joint Task Force set up by Nigeria, Republic of Benin, Cameroun, Chad and Niger against Boko Haram terror sect.

Nigeria’s leader declared the order while presiding over the AU Peace and Security Council meeting at the weekend in Johannesburg.

After the concluding of the presidential election one of the most significant questions that draw a lot of attention of Nigerians is that how will be formed Buhari’s cabinet.

While the president is yet to name his ministerial appointments some lists of ministers are circulating on media sources.

It should be also noted that President Buhari’s assistants have attributed the shift in naming his cabinet to his deliberate bureaucratic style.

Source: Legit.ng

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