FORMER Minister of Agriculture, Mohammed Nanono; and former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, were sacked by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on Wednesday because they failed what the regime called “evaluation test.”
There are, however, indications that more members of the Federal Executive Council will go at the end of another target evaluation that may be conducted in September or October.
A Federal Government official who did not want his name in print told The PUNCH that the evaluation of the ministers based on their core targets was done by an unnamed consultancy firm.
He said the initial plan of government was that major changes would be carried out after what he called a second term review retreat which would hold either this month or in October.
The source said, “The ministers were asked to go because they failed the evaluation test on their core targets. The evaluation was done by a consultancy firm, not government officials.
“A major second term review retreat is supposed to hold either this month or next. The plan is that the changes will take place during or after the retreat but maybe the President felt he needed to treat the two cases before the retreat.
“That probably explains why he said it will be a continuous process. At the retreat, ministers will see the result of their evaluation and they will know their fate.”
It’s a continuous process, says Buhari
However, the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), said due to periodic “self-reviews,” more members of his cabinet might be made to leave.
This was as he explained that the significant review steps were meant to identify and strengthen weak areas, close gaps, build cohesion and synergy in governance, manage the economy and improve the delivery of public good to Nigerians.
Buhari’s announcement was contained in a statement on Wednesday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, titled ‘President Buhari approves cabinet reshuffle’.
In a statement to cabinet members during the Federal Executive Council meeting on Wednesday, the President approved a reshuffle in his cabinet which has so far run since August 21, 2019.
Buhari sacks ministers to cover up failures, PDP alleges
But the Peoples Democratic Party described the decision of the President to sack two of his ministers, as “a ludicrous and infective attempt to cover for his failures in office.”
This is contained in a statement by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, titled, ‘PDP to Buhari: Don’t use Nanono and Mamman to cover your failures’.
Part of the statement read, “Our party is also investigating the real reason behind their sacking, given Mr. President’s public approach to fighting corruption by “easing out” the culprits.
“The party however asserts that the manifest inefficiency of the Buhari administration is a product of the President’s myopic and divisive approach to governance as well as the impunity and corruption deeply embedded in his administration and party, the All Progressives Congress.
“The PDP posits that even if the best hands are recruited, they will be contaminated by incompetence, impunity, disregard to rules, divisiveness and corruption that have become the hallmark of the APC and its administration.”
Electricity workers, excited over ministers’ sacking
Meanwhile, some stakeholders have commended the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on his decision to sack the two ministers.
The General Secretary of the National Union of Electricity Employees of Nigeria, Joe Ajaero, told The PUNCH that the former minister lacked the pedigree and capacity to occupy the position and worked against the progress of the sector.
Ajaero said, “Besides not having any pedigree, the man came there with a different motive which was adversarial to power generation, distribution and transmission.
“His first attack was on some of the best brains in the sector. After getting them out of the way, he became a clog in the wheel of progress in the sector. In him, we had a minister who couldn’t articulate any policy directly. In him, we had a minister who couldn’t study a robust memo.”
NCPN commends Buhari, AFAN president congratulates new minister
Also, the President of Nigeria Consumer Protection Network, Mr Kunle Olubiyo, commended Buhari on the sacking of the ministers.
He further justified the termination of their appointment, which he said, was as a result of the ministers’ poor attitude to work.
Olubiyo said, “It was a case of lame-duck, lackadaisical, and laissez-faire attitude towards serious national policies issues that affect the PMB’s Economic Sustainability Strategic Programme. The President’s action is no doubt in order.”
