After three months of speculations, disappointments, criticisms, long wait and anxiety over the choices of President Buhari’s ministers, the President finally announced his cabinet members who are expected to advance his change agenda. But are these appointments a symbol of change?
Looking at the President’s choice for the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, President Buhari seem to be oblivious of the fact that there is no time for learning curve or experimentation as far as the recovery of the economy and other sectors of the economy are concerned. In spite of Nigeria’s economic crisis, President Buhari allowed political settlement prevail over competence in his quest to get an individual to lead the economic team—the reason why our economy has over the years recorded little growth, remained stagnant and yet to be at the expected level of development.
Reports have it that President Buhari chose Mr. Adamu Adamu as his Education Minister because he does not believe in the competence of Professors besides the fact that an individual attended the best schools in the world does not mean that such individual would be able to perform as a Minister in government. No thanks to some scholars in past administrations who are responsible for this impression.
President Buhari said he did not make a mistake in his appointment of ministers stating that the decision was carefully and strategically made to bring about the needed change and achieve the promises made during his campaign.
There are stories about Mrs. Adeosun’s attitude and behavior whether as an Investment Banker or as Commissioner for Finance in Ogun State and it is doubtful she will bring about the needed economic recovery and stability. She was said to have been sacked by her former employer, wielded so much power as Commissioner for Finance in Ogun State and awarded numerous contracts to her husband.
Some people have argued that her qualification as an economist and chartered accountant makes her the best choice to steer the economy of the country. In my opinion, she is the wrong choice for the Minister of Finance at this critical period when the Nigerian economy is in recession and need someone who understands the economy and knows the right initiatives and interventions to get the economy on track.
There are also arguments that the economy was destroyed under the Jonathan administration in spite of the credentials of the immediate past Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. That notwithstanding, Mrs. Adeosun is unlikely to succeed as a Minister of Finance at a time of economic recession except the President make up for this by constituting a team of economic advisers who are mostly academics.
In spite of President Buhari’s lack of expertise in the management of the economy and the obvious economic realities, he did not deem it fit to appoint a competent individual that can lead the economic team in a way that will foster rapid recovery of the economy. This is my honest view about President Buhari’s choice of Finance Minister but I stand to be corrected.
In a bid to produce the Minister of Finance, some statesmen and politicians had to outsmart themselves and in the process threw up a Finance Minister that Professor Akin Oyebode described as unfit to handle the Ministry of Finance. We are once again making the mistake of the past that has led us to our present cul de sac to borrow the words of Professor Akinjide Osuntokun and this high level of incompetence will only be revealed at the end of President Buhari’s four year term when the economy is expected to have recovered from the current recession.
The appointment of Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola as Minister of Power, Works and Housing as well as Mr. Rotimi Amaechi as Minister of Transport is expected to bring about the needed infrastructural development. Investment in power, works, housing and transportation are capable of addressing Nigeria’s infrastructural deficits as all the monies that were meant for infrastructural development over the years have ended up in private pockets due to massive corruption. Nigeria cannot record a steady economic growth without infrastructural development. President Buhari’s decision in this regard is quite commendable.
Many Nigerians have expressed their views about President Buhari’s choices of ministers. Some Nigerians argued that the ministerial list was compensatory while others said that the President’s ministers are old. Another school of thought said that the list was not worth the wait while some said the President Buhari’s ministers cannot offer fresh perspectives and ideas that are needed.
Some people have also doubted the President’s commitment to winning the war against corruption with the appointment of some individuals who they think have corruption charges against them. President Buhari and members of his cabinet have to prove their skeptics wrong and ensure that they come up with policies and strategies for economic development and growth. Nigerians have to see this in the improvement in their standard of living.
It was obviously a herculean task for the President to set up his cabinet and it is hoped that this team will help President Buhari realize his plans for the country and address the myriads of problems in Nigeria. However, he has an opportunity to replace anyone of these men and women if they are not result-driven or reshuffle them when the need arises.
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Op–ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija
Bolaji Samson Aregbeshola is an Op-Ed Contributor and the author of “Nigerian Political Parties and Politicians: Winding Road from Country to Nation”.
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