<p><strong><em>Muhammadu Buhari, like Obasanjo , now has a rare
opportunity to be Nigeria’s number one citizen the 3<sup>rd</sup> time and of
course, the last, constitutionally. The world, voters and the masses are concerned
about the legacy he intends to leave behind</em></strong></p>



<p><strong>By Valentine
Eromonsele Oleabhiele</strong></p>



<p>Silence
enveloped the Federal Executive Council Chamber on May 22 as President
Muhammadu Buhari held ; a valedictory
session with his cabinet Ministers. Tears rolled down the cheeks and there was
purgation of emotions. </p>



<p>Questions
pumped in the adrenalin of the outgoing ministers as they ; move into another phase of life where the
sirens will no longer wail, phones will ring less often and the retinue of
aides will vapourize. </p>



<p>The
last Cabinet started on November 11, 2015 six months after Buhari’s
inauguration as the 4<sup>th</sup> President since the rebirth of democratic
practice in 1999.</p>



<p>It
was a tale of mixed fortunes. Not all those who started the race with the
president completed it due to exigencies. While ex-Minister Minister of State
for Labour and Productivity, Mr. James Ocholi (SAN) died in a car crash
alongside his wife and son, the immediate past Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi
Adeosun was consumed by the scandal surrounding forgery of her National Youth
Service Corps Scheme (NYSC) discharge certificate. </p>



<p> ;Aisha Al-Hassan, (Women Affairs and Social
Development) hastily resigned from office to pursue her gubernatorial ambition.</p>



<p>A
few others moved up the ladder – among them were Amina Mohammed, Minister for
Environment, who bagged the post of the Deputy Secretary-General of the United
Nations; ; Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Solid Minerals Development, who is now the
governor of Ekiti State; Khadija Abba-Ibrahim, Minister of State for Foreign
Affairs, returned to her first love of politics ; and got elected as a member
of the House of Representatives and Ibrahim Jibril, Minister of State for
Environment who ; earned a royal call when
he was chosen as the Emir of Nasarawa.</p>



<p>Despite
Buhari&#8217;s tight fiscal policies to get improvement in the standards of
living, ; the ; level of achievement seems unimpressive. </p>



<p>A
skeletal ; review ; of key sectors during his first term
indicates that unless he injects more intellectual and creative ; energies ;
into governance, the expected “Next Level” may just be a mirage.</p>



<p> ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; <strong>Finance ;
</strong></p>



<p>Under ; Buhari&#8217;s first term, Federal Ministry of
Finance had two ministers. The first was Kemi Adeosun who focused on the
initiation, development and aggressive implementation of innovative fiscal
operations, management policies and initiatives aimed at redressing the
economic fortunes of the country. </p>



<p>The
other minister is Zainab Ahmed, who seemed to be ; learning the ropes. However, she demonstrated
lack of innovation and a weak grasp of what is expected of the ministry. Her
natural terrain is the extractive sector where she is highly respected.</p>



<p>Under Adeosun, the following initiatives were
introduced: Family Homes Fund; Whistle-blower Policy; Efficiency Unit;
Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme; Road Trust Fund; Development
Bank of Nigeria; Asset Tracking and Management Project; Fiscal Sustainability
Plans and Budget Support Facility for States; Genuine implementation of
Treasury Single Accounts and hitherto hidden government monies; Clearing of inherited
pension arrears and the Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit (PICA).
That is a rate of 3.27 initiatives every month while she was in office. But her
successor spent eight months and could not initiate new policy.</p>



<p>As
a way of encouraging public participation in the fight against corruption,
President Buhari, through Kemi Adeosun championed the introduction of the
landmark Whistle-blower policy, designed to support the fight against graft by
exposing financial crimes and rewarding credible informants of such
malfeasance.</p>



<p>The
Federal Government on June 29, 2017 launched a revolutionary and bold reform
initiative – the Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS),
through which citizens (tax payers) are offered a window of opportunity to regularize
their tax status relating to previous tax periods, without incurring penalties.
This implementation of this tax initiative resulted in an increase in the
number of tax payers from 10 million before the assumption of office by the
incumbent Administration to 14 million in 2016 and 19.3 million in 2018.</p>



<p>It
is instructive to note that some local and foreign companies are now disposed
to the VAIDS initiative, and have started to regularize their tax status.</p>



<p>Buhari
also ; settled outstanding pension arrears
up to March, 2017. The sum of 41.5 billion was released by the Federal Ministry
of Finance to pay off outstanding pensions arrears of 2014, 2015 and 2016,
while the sum of N12.5 billion was paid out to clear pension claims for up to
March, 2017, bringing the total payment of outstanding pension arrears by the
current administration to over N54 billion – an unprecedented feat, which has
been commended by the various workers&#8217; unions.</p>



<p>Despite
the good intention of these initiatives, annual budget performance remains low
even Nigeria&#8217;s total debt package currently stands at N24.7 trillion. ; </p>



<p>In
2018, budgeted revenue was N7.2 trillion . This is against the realized figure
of N3.96 trillion, signifying a negative variance of 45%. Despite this
shortfall the government has ; been able
to fully pay salaries and ; service 100%.
There was ; also a release of ; seven months overhead for 2018, two months
for 2019, and N2.079trillion capital expenditure as at 14th May 2019.</p>



<p>In
the ; Petroleum Resources Ministry, the
greatest of ; landmarks was the
renegotiation of the Joint Ventures Cash Calls (JCC) exit from which the
Federal Government has paid $1.5billion out of the over $5billion arrears. The
measure has boosted the international oil companies&#8217; investment confidence in
the Nigerian oil and gas sector.</p>



<p>To
address corruption in the system, Buhari, through Ibe Kachukwu, the Minister of
State in the Petroleum Ministry, ;
introduced the Direct Sale and Direct Purchase (DSDP) scheme in exchange
of crude oil for petroleum products from the refiners. The measure which was
used to replace the previous Offshore Processing Agreement (OPA) has saved
Nigeria over $2.2billion since its introduction in 2016.</p>



<p>Buhari
was ; able to bring the menacing militant
groups in the Niger Delta under control with the high level decision such as
the relocation of the head offices of the IOCs from Lagos to the Niger Delta.
The same measure also culminated in the quenching of the unending protest over
the Ogoniland clean-up with the announcement and subsequent implementation of
the UNEP blueprint on the region.</p>



<p>The
notorious incessant fuel scarcity as a result of the Petroleum Support Scheme
that was milking over N1.3trillion from the nation&#8217;s coffer annually with
little or no product to show for it was addressed through the introduction the
price modulation formula that absolved the fuel queues overnight.</p>



<p>Although
the price of the Premium Motor Spirit was to rise from about N97 per litre to a
maximum band of N145, the petrol stations are constantly wet with product.
Besides, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation has successfully remained
the lone importer of petrol as private importers have shirked their
responsibility owing to the escalating forex challenges. Although analysts have
criticized the resultant under- recovery measure that they depict as a return
to petrol subsidy, Nigeria has not run out of product under Buhari’s ; watch which has reduced product diversion to
adjoining countries.</p>



<p>The
volume of oil production has also increased from less than 1.86million barrel
per day in 2016 to 2.019million barrels per day in the early of 2019. The
sector has succeeded in reducing the contracting circle of upstream operation
from 24 months to nine months. This sector has reduced gas flare by 75 per cent
as a result of the introduction of commercial gas utilization.</p>



<p>The ; Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment is
creating an enabling business environment for businesses to thrive; implementing
the Nigerian Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP); attracting long-term local and
foreign investment; encouraging expansion of MSMEs; and promotion of global and
regional value chains that enhance trade.</p>



<p>Except
for the sudden introduction of TraderMoni ; and MarketMoni through one of
its agencies, the Bank of Industry, ; most
of his laudable initiatives are still at gestational stages.</p>



<p>Buhari’s
past ; four years have seen a lot of
imbalance between Nigeria and its major trading countries. Data from the National
Bureau of Statistics confirmed that Nigeria recorded N6.83trn worth of trade
deficit with China in the last four years. As at 2015-2018 Nigeria imported
goods worth N7.65tn from China and exported N818.46bn worth of goods to China.</p>



<p>However,
the government ; recorded progress on Ease
of Doing Business reforms, which was also spearheaded by the Presidential
Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC). These reforms led to a reduction
of challenges encountered by SMEs and other businesses in areas such as
starting a business; access to credit; paying of taxes, enforcing contracts or
trading within and across borders, and investor-interest in Nigeria has
increased.</p>



<p>Under
his watch, the country rose 24 places from 169 to 145 in the World Bank&#8217;s 2018
Ease of Doing Business Index; its highest jump in the history of the rankings.
And although Nigeria ranks 146 in the latest Doing Business rankings, the
country&#8217;s Distance-to-Frontier (DTF) score, which is the absolute metric,
improved from 51.52 in Doing Business 2018 to 52.89 in 2019.</p>



<p>With
the advent of the Buhari government, worker had much hope that things will go
differently as a result of the personality of the President and his change
agenda. But the question is: Can workers beat their chest and say they are
satisfied with his performance?</p>



<p>Four
years after, the new minimum wage of N30,000 for Nigerian workers and the fact
that no worker in the public service has lost his job, especially getting
employers in the oil and gas sector not to sack workers are major achievements.
</p>



<p>Buhari
has made tremendous success in his plans for railway modernization in Nigeria
which could be classified into three namely completed, ongoing and upcoming
projects. The completed Standard Gauge Railway Projects are the Abuja (Idu) to
Kaduna and Segment 1 of Lagos to Kano standard gauge railway modernization
project). The total length of the Abuja to Kaduna is 186.50KM.</p>



<p>The
Ongoing Standard Gauge Railway Projects include the 156.5kilometre Lagos to
Ibadan Double Track Standard Gauge Railway project with extension to Apapa Port
Complex (Segment 1 of Lagos to Kano Standard Gauge Railway Modernization
Project).</p>



<p>As
part of his achievements, the Federal Government, it was learnt, is on the
verge of possible signing of the co-financing loan agreement to kick off the
project of the outstanding portion of Lagos-Kano rail line (Ibadan-Abuja and
Kaduna-Kano approximately 1000km).</p>



<p>The
prioritized upcoming railway projects include Lagos to Calabar Coastal Railway
Line with branch line from Benin City to Onitsha (1431.5Km); Kano to Dayi to
Kastina to Maradi (354km), and Railway Industrial Park in Port Harcourt D. Port
Harcourt to Maiduguri Standard Gauge Railway Line (2,058.838Km).</p>



<p>The
main features for the Port Harcourt- Maiduguri ; are -Port Harcourt – Enugu
-Akwanga – Gombe – Maiduguri (1305.638Km), Bonny -Port Harcourt (67.0Km); Port
Harcourt to Owerri to Awka to Enugu (266.0Km); Enugu to Abakaliki (61.4Km);
Akwanga to Abuja (142.0Km); Gombe to Yola and Gombe to Jalingo (216.8Km).</p>



<p>The
proposed railway project when completed will connect 11 states – Lagos, Ogun,
Ondo, Edo, Anambra, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Abia, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River)
in the southern region of the country from western flank to eastern flank of
Nigeria.</p>



<p>It
will also connect 17 states which include: Rivers, Abia, Enugu, Benue,
Nassarawa, Kaduna, Plateau, Bauchi, Gombe, Yobe and Borno from the Southern to
the Northern hemisphere of eastern flank of Nigeria. The branch lines will connect
all the nearby states to the main line and traverse the following states: Imo,
Anambra, Ebonyi, Adamawa, Taraba and FCT, Abuja while it will also connect the
Kano to Jibiya in Maradi (another commercial hub of Niger Republic).</p>



<p>Ditto
the aviation sector where the President has shown commitment to keep the
nation&#8217;s airspace safe and guarantee smooth flights.</p>



<p>Nigeria
has also attained Level 3 out of 4 levels, thereby moving Nigeria from red to
green on the ICAO dashboard. In line with ICAO and WMO standards, in July 2017,
the Nigerian Meteorological Agency acquired ISO9001 2015 certificate, which
qualifies it to offer aeronautical meteorological services. The agency became
the first in Africa to be so certified.</p>



<p>He
placed premium on Growing and Sustaining the Domestic Aviation Industry;
Re-introduction of zero import duties on aircraft, engine and introduction of
same for spare parts. The government also ;
ensured the completion of the Kano Tower Automated Air Traffic
Management and Meteorological Systems, installed the Instrument Landing Systems
(ILS) Category II (CAT II), Doppler VORs (DVORs), Distance Measuring Equipment
(DMEs) at four airports namely Lagos, Kano, Port Harcourt and Kaduna. Those of
Minna, Jos, Yola, Maiduguri, Benin and Akure are still on-going and nearing
completion.</p>



<p>Meanwhile,
the name and the man, Muhammadu Buhari, has evolved into one of the most
prominent personae that have influenced the storyline of the Nigerian political
manifestations in the last four decades. His involvement or the lack of it
thereof in the design of Nigeria&#8217;s prevailing circumstance has made his
placement in the roll call of equitable and effectual leaders quite
contestable. </p>



<p>With
the hallmark being the economic recession of 2016, the divided opinions that
have trailed him would largely remain a never-ending debate after he led the
seventh republic, an administration that was overwhelmingly adjudged to have
grossly underperformed by all standard measures. Nonetheless, by May 29th, the
man and his name resonated again in the forefront of national discuss, this
time as a returning president for another democratic dispensation; his second
and last lap as a civilian ruler.</p>



<p>As
Nigerians and the seeing world await the unveiling of the NEXT LEVEL, a
soubriquet of the new tenure and the bane of expectation that the nation&#8217;s hope
is hinged on for a better country that offers a shift away from the past, how
keen should Nigerians be going into this term? </p>



<p>An
insight into the past of the man at the helm of affairs would help pave an
inroad towards this poser.</p>



<p>Educated
largely in Katsina, Buhari was born in December 17, 1942 in Daura, an ancient
town in Kastina State, northern Nigeria. He was the twenty-fourth child of his
Fulani parents and he received military training in Kaduna as well as in Great
Britain, India, and the United States. ;</p>



<p>At
age 20, he was commissioned a second lieutenant and appointed Platoon Commander
of the Second Infantry Battalion stationed in Abeokuta. His first role cast in
the Nigeria leadership brawl that would eventually introduced successive
military truncation of Nigeria&#8217;s infant democracy was his involvement in the
military coup that overthrew Yakubu Gowon in 1975. In return, he was rewarded
with an appointment as military governor of North Eastern state which is
current day Borno State. ;</p>



<p>When
Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo became military head of state in 1976 after Murtala
Mohammed, Gowon&#8217;s successor, was assassinated, Buhari was appointed Federal
Commissioner for petroleum resources and Chairman of the NNPC. A position he
held till 1978. ; During his reign $2.8 billion was alleged to have been
fraudulently remitted from the NNPC account held with Midland Bank in the UK.
This followed evidence presented by a US auditing firm, showing records that
several monies were untraceable going by the bank proceedings of the NNPC. In
1980, the Shehu Shagari government appointed Justice Ayo Irikefe to chairman
the tribunal that investigated the allegation. Interestingly, neither Buhari
nor Obasanjo who were both overseers of the country&#8217;s oil sales and the NNPC
account during the period in question ever appeared before the tribunal. Like
many financial allegation leveled against military top brass in the course of a
military regime, this one too remained an unsolved mystery. ; ;</p>



<p>However
it&#8217;s worthy to mention that as Federal Commissioner for petroleum, he
instituted a handful of significant developments amongst which were the
construction of 21 storage deports for petroleum products at strategic
locations within the country and connecting distributing pipeline networks
across the federation. ;</p>



<p>Buhari
moved a notch higher in the military echelon by becoming the Secretary at the
Supreme Military Headquarters, which at that time was the seat of government,
and he held on until September 1979 before he was drafted back into regular
army duties. He was reposted as a General Officer Commanding of the Third
Armored Division based out in Jos. ;</p>



<p>At
this time, Shehu Shagari has been enthroned through a democratic process into
the presidency, easing the country back into civilian rule. Unfortunately, a
widespread dissatisfaction amongst the military would plunge the country back
into the abyss of ; khakistocracy. And Muhammadu Buhari was a leading actor
and the major beneficiary of the December 31, 1983 ouster of what was seemingly
a promising democratic system. ;</p>



<p><strong>Military Head of
State</strong></p>



<p>Buhari&#8217;s
military government of 1983 inherited a plethora of economic inconveniences
that plagued the Shagari administration. And to salvage the situation, Buhari
introduced several austerity measures that further deepened the plight of the
populace with inflation hitting the roof. ; ;</p>



<p>He
took a hard-hitting position on corruption as many prominent figures in
business and politics were tried and convicted. Many others were awaiting
trials on corruption-related charges. The &#8220;War Against Indiscipline&#8221;
was launched and targeted at promoting positive values in Nigerian society. </p>



<p>But
the method employed to drive home the programme was authoritarian and
dictatorial, drawing condemnation from many quarters. To further suppress a
rising league of dissent and rebellion against his policies that were
apparently threatening the survival and liberty of the people, Buhari
established restrictions on trade unionists, the press, and political
freedoms. ;</p>



<p>As
usual, the Nigerian people had embraced Buhari&#8217;s attempts to rid the country of
corruption and advance generally acceptable values, but the measures he
deployed were eventually degenerating into abuse and maltreatment. Worst still,
it was a developing situation in the midst of enduring economic quandaries. ;
A significant numbers of the early cheerleaders turned around and
agitated. ;</p>



<p>At
some point in August 1985, it appeared the rebellion has diffused into
unconventional quarters as the military weren&#8217;t warming up again to Buhari&#8217;s
doctrines of governance anymore. </p>



<p>On
the 27th day of August, 1985 ; Major General Ibrahim Babangida took control
of the government putting a leg to the door of Buhari&#8217;s first reign as
Nigeria&#8217;s number one citizen.</p>



<p>As
expected under most military dictatorship, allegations bothering on fraud would
always go unchallenged and Buhari&#8217;s regime, despite fronting policies that
insist on being incorruptible, was no different. </p>



<p>For
example, the fate of 53 suitcases with unknown content brought in from oil rich
Saudi Arabia on the 10th of June, 1984 without custom inspection was never
addressed. ;  ; ;</p>



<p>In
the 2003, 2007 and 2011 presidential elections, Muhammadu Buhari, more than two
decades after retirement, was defeated by Olusegun Obasanjo, Umar Musa Yar&#8217;adua
and Goodluck Jonathan respectively, all of whom were incumbent and of the
People Democratic Party, PDP. </p>



<p>In
2014 the All Progressives Congress (APC) which was a conglomeration of four
other Political parties in addition to a faction of the PDP nominated Buhari to
stand as its candidate in the 2015 presidential election. ;</p>



<p>His
longstanding reputation for being incorruptible and conservative and most
importantly his military background made him particularly attractive as a
presidential candidate. Betting on his expansive experience in the military,
many Nigerians hoped he might be able to effectually have a firmer grip of the
heightened security threat posed by the Islamic militant group Boko Haram,
whose vicious acts have continued to terrorize parts of the country. ;</p>



<p>In
what was Nigeria&#8217;s most narrowly contested election ever, Buhari garnered some
2.5 million votes ahead of Jonathan, his closest rival. He was declared the
winner. His victory demonstrated the first time that an incumbent president
would be defeated from office in the world most populous black nation. Buhari
was inaugurated on May 29, 2015.</p>



<p>Development
under Buhari return as a civilian president was mixed. His presidency had what
would be better described as a rough and uncertain start, after it took more
than six months to inaugurate a cabinet. This was coupled with the country
sinking into recession in 2016 which in part could be blamed on the declining
revenue from oil sales. By the threshold of 2018, there were noticeable
evidences of some economic recovery from the recession, although Nigeria Bureau
of Statistics pegged the number of job lost at 3.3 million as many Nigerians
were still submerged in extreme poverty with many businesses crumbling under
the weight of the economic crises. The situation gained international attention
as Nigeria overtook Indian as the poverty capital of the world with 87 million
people, more than 40 percent of its population living below poverty
level. ;  ; ;</p>



<p>As
the nation ebb into a state of uncertainty, agitation arose from South East
secessionist group, IPOB with the government using military might to quell them
under the operation Crocodile Smile. The situation was not helped with the
president looped sided appointment favouring the northern region where he hails
from. He went further to justify this with the five and ninety-seven percentage
theory. The country was deeply divided across ethno-religious line. ;</p>



<p>The
war with Boko Haram became intricate as the group broke into two formidable
factions and fought the country from different fronts with the Nigerian army
falling prey on quite a lot of occasions. The successes recorded were entirely
&#8216;technical,&#8217; which is a synonym for patchiness. Hostility soon broke out in the
North Central with Fulani Herdsmen clashing with farmers and ransacking communities.
Banditry and kidnapping also started making waves in the North West and the
military and security forces continued to botch-up in the face of confronting
bloody crises.</p>



<p>Nevertheless,
through all of these, the administration managed to embark on major
infrastructural projects across the nation. Most noteworthy of them was its
rail projects and road construction. Its social intervention policies, such as
N-Power, Trader Moni, the school feeding programme and the Conditional Cash
Transfer ensured Nigerians had reasons to smile. ;  ; ;</p>



<p>His
administration&#8217;s fight on corruption was both applauded and vilified. He
received praised for its progresses and knocks for focusing more on political
opponents than on allies. In the course of his first tenure Buhari had reasons
to visit his London hospital to manage an undisclosed ailment so frequently
that his physical and mental ability to remain as president were called into
questions severally. </p>



<p>And
whenever he makes those extended absence, vice president Yomi Osinbajo takes
charge. In an interview with BBC Aisha Buhari, wife of the president stated
that her husband&#8217;s government may have been hijacked by a few people who are
behind presidential appointments. This also brought into fore the resounding
doubt on Buhari&#8217;s capacity and competence to have substantial control of the
happenings under his watch with many calling on him to dispose his reelection
ambition and retire to the tranquility of Daura. </p>



<p>Regardless,
he was named the APC candidate for the February 2019 presidential election. He
emerged victorious, winning by some 56 percent of the votes cast.</p>



<p>As
the next level officially commence on the 29th of May, the government had
during their re-election campaign presented an outline of lofty ideas which is
supposedly the pivot necessary for Nigeria&#8217;s immediate and long-term
development.</p>



<p>The
government has promised to create additional 10 million jobs with N-Power
graduates seeing an increase from over 200,000 to one million entrants. It has
also vowed to expand its Anchor Borrowers Programme to one million
beneficiaries. And add another 1.5 million jobs through agriculture
mechanisation. ;</p>



<p>The
government is banking on its feeding programme as an incentive for poor parents
to send their wards to school. Also there are plans to feed more school
children from 9.2 million to 15 million. This will in turn help eradicate the
country&#8217;s abysmal number of out of school children that currently stands at 13.2
million according to data from UBEC. It also projected that this increase will
generate an additional 300,000 jobs for food vendors and farmers</p>



<p>In
the buildup to the election, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo crisscrossed the
country evangelising Trader Moni, the government soft loan scheme for petty
traders. </p>



<p>Despite
the criticism that trailed the venture, the government plans to create more
trajectories which would target artisans and increasing the money from â¦10,000 up to N1
million each. ;</p>



<p>The
next level also promises to sustain the infrastructural development drive with
the completion of the Second Niger Bridge, Lagos-Kano rail, the Eastern rail
and the Lagos-Calabar rail. Others include Regional Industrial Parks and 109
Special Production and Processing Centres (SPPCs) across each senatorial
district.</p>



<p>On
security and anti-corruption, the next level isn&#8217;t presenting anything
different from the past except the continuation of the ongoing onslaught
against Boko Haram, armed bandit and political opponents respectively. ;
 ;  ;</p>



<p>For
opinions, the next level is pregnant with promises just like the &#8216;Change&#8217;
mantra of the previous four years. But then expectations have remained low
because the antecedent of the government doesn&#8217;t give much reason for
excitement. ;</p>



<p>Again
many corrupt politicians who were previously on the EFCC watch list have
crossed carpet into the APC and as expected their sins would be forgiven and
shielded from persecution. ;</p>



<p>Unlike
2015, Buhari has announced his cabinet ministers who are being screened by the
Senate.</p>



<p>To most Nigerians, the cabinet make up is uninspiring.</p>



<p>For
instance, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in a statement by its
National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, said Buhari’s ministerial
list s colourless, stagnant, uninspiring and did not convey any sense of hope
or purposeful governance.</p>



<p>Ologbondiyan
said to the utter disappointment of Nigerians, the list was replete with
alleged incompetent individuals who failed in their erstwhile ministerial
assignments and allegedly left their ministries in a shambles.</p>



<p>According
to him, such a ministerial list can only come from a leadership that does not
have the mandate of the people.</p>



<p>Ologbondiyan
said, “The list has further shown Buhari and the APC’s insensitivity and
disdain for Nigerians and it does not in any way reflect their hope and
eagerness for a better Nigeria.</p>



<p>“Furthermore,
in recycling failed yesterday’s men for today’s assignment, Buhari and the APC
have left no one in doubt that they have no vision to move our nation out of
the economic and security predicaments into which they have plunged us in the
last four years.”</p>



<p>Also,
the President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Professor Biodun
Ogunyemi, said Buhari’s list lacks innovation.</p>



<p> ;He ; stated,
“People are talking of a generation change and injecting fresh blood or a
mixture of the old and the new. But the new names on the list are people who
have been in the political circle for some time. I am sure the younger
generation would have been looking out for a list that would have accommodated
their interest and representation.”</p>



<p>Nigeria
Employers’ Consultative Association said the ministerial nominees list
contained mostly names of recycled politicians.</p>



<p>The
Director-General, NECA, Mr Timothy Olawale, said Nigerians had waited and
expected to see some names of technocrats on the list, but the association
discovered that the list contained mostly recycled politicians that were picked
based on political patronage and mostly for their roles as party men.</p>



<p> ;“We had expected that with the delay by the
President in constituting his cabinet, the team would be populated by
professionals that had distinguished themselves in their area of calling,” he
stated. </p>



<p>For
those who have witnessed Buhari&#8217;s leadership since 1983, it&#8217;s difficult to
predict a modification in tactics and mannerism. Therefore, voters are waiting
with mixed expectations ; on what the
“next level” holds for the masses. ;  ; ;</p>



<p> ;<strong>President Muhammadu Buhari’s “Next Level” 43-man
ministerial cabinet </strong></p>



<p> ;<strong>Okechuckwu Ogah</strong>: The Abia-born Ogah is a
Consultant Physician/Cardiologist Division of Cardiology, Department of
Medicine, University College Hospital, Ibadan. He is also the President of The
Nigerian Cardiac Society. Sources said may he may be made Minister of Health.</p>



<p> ;<strong>Mohammed Musa Bello:</strong> ;The immediate past FCT
Minister has been nominated again by Buhari possibly to continue overseeing
activities in the ministry. He has a B.SC in management with a major in Banking
and Finance from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria. He has an MBA in the same
field. He represents Adamawa state.</p>



<p><strong>Godswill Akpabio:</strong> ;The former Governor of
Akwa Ibom lost his re-election bid to the Senate. He defected to the All
Progressives Congress (APC) months to the last general elections after
following out with his godson and successor Udom Emmanuel. His nomination is
expected to galvanise the APC in the state and region where he is considered
the leader.</p>



<p><strong>Chris Ngige</strong>: Many thought he will be
dropped from the incoming cabinet following his long-drawn battles with Nigeria
Labour Congress (NLC) and medical doctors. But the former Anambra governor
staged a comeback and is likely to be assigned to the Ministry of Labour and
Productivity.</p>



<p><strong>Sharon Ikeazor:</strong> ;The current Executive
Secretary, Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) is a surprise
inclusion in the cabinet considering the massive reforms she initiated in the
PTAD. Buhari certainly needs better needs of her to have nominated the former
Women Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for cabinet role. She is
expected to serve as a Minister of State being a first-timer.</p>



<p><strong>Adamu Adamu:</strong> ;The immediate past
Minister of Education from Bauchi state is likely to continue in the same
capacity upon constitution of the new cabinet.</p>



<p><strong>Ambassador Maryam Katagun:</strong> ;The new entrant
is expected to serve as a junior minister from Bauchi state despite being
Nigeria’s Permanent Delegate to UNESCO. Considering her functions in UNESCO,
she is likely to be assigned to the Ministry of Education.</p>



<p><strong>Timipre Sylva:</strong> ;One of the former
governors to make the list, Sylva’s inclusion means he won’t contest the
November 2019 governorship election in Bayelsa, which he presided over from
2007-2011. He replaces former Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural
Development, Heineken Lokpobiri, who has since picked the nomination form for
APC governorship primary.</p>



<p><strong>George Akume:</strong> ;The former Benue
governor, who lost his senatorial re-election bid, is back as a
ministerial-nominee. He replaces former Agriculture Minister Audu Ogbeh as the
state’s representative.</p>



<p><strong>Mustapha Baba Shehuri:</strong> ;The immediate past
Minister of State for Power Works Housing is back on the list ostensibly to
give more impetus to ongoing projects in the ministry.</p>



<p><strong>Goddy Jedy- Agba:</strong> ;The former Group
General Manager (GGM) Crude Oil Marketing Division (OMD) NNPC wanted
desperately to govern Cross Rivers but was stopped by powerful forces. He left
the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC where he has been rewarded with a
ministerial slot.</p>



<p><strong>Festus Keyamo:</strong> ;The human rights
activist won the Delta ministerial slot having served as Director of Strategic
Communications of Buhari’s re-election bid.</p>



<p><strong>Ogbonnaya Onu:</strong> ;The immediate past
Minister of Science of Technology is back to represent Ebonyi state. He may be
asked to continue with the ministry.</p>



<p><strong>Osagie Ehanire:</strong> ;Another returnee,
Ehanire served as Minister of State for Health. He may just be back in the
ministry.</p>



<p><strong>Clement Ike:</strong> ;The accountant was
Commissioner for Environment and other ministries in Oshiomhole’s government
for eight years. He currently works with Chevron.</p>



<p><strong>Adeniyi Adebayo:</strong> ;Former Ekiti governor
is a top chieftain of the APC. He is back with a public office since he left as
governor from 1999-2003.</p>



<p><strong>Geoffrey Onyeama:</strong> ;The immediate Minister
of Foreign Affairs from Enugu is widely believed will continue in the same
capacity.</p>



<p><strong>Ali Isa Pantami:</strong> ;Gombe-born Director
General and CEO of the National Information Technology Development Agency
(NITDA) in Nigeria is a new inclusion on the cabinet list.</p>



<p><strong>Emeka Nwajiuba:</strong> ;He has just been
elected a member of the House of Representatives on the platform of Accord
Party. Nwajiuba was a member of the House from 1999-2003.</p>



<p><strong>Suleiman Adamu:</strong> ;The immediate past
Minister of Water Resources from Jigawa may continue with the ministry. He was
also a former Inspector General of Police.</p>



<p><strong>Zainab Ahmed:</strong> ;The Kaduna-born
accountant is immediate past Minister of Finance.</p>



<p><strong>Muhammad Mahmood: ;</strong>The current Chairman
of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) is a former member of the
Kaduna House of Assembly and Chairman of the Buhari Support Organisation.</p>



<p><strong>Sabo Nanono:</strong> ;The retired banker has
long been tipped for ministerial appointment. He comes to the cabinet with
years of experience in banking.</p>



<p><strong>Major General Bashir Salihi Magashi:</strong> ;A
former Sokoto governor (1990-1992), he was retired along with other military
chiefs in 1999. He was a legal adviser for the defunct All Nigeria’s People
Party (ANPP) and governorship candidate of Democratic People’s Party (DPP) in
Kano.</p>



<p><strong>Hadi Sirika:</strong> ;The immediate past
Minister of Aviation is a former Senator.</p>



<p><strong>Abubakar Malami:</strong> ;The Minister of Justice
and Attorney General is an expected returnee being one of the President’s men
in the last cabinet.</p>



<p><strong>Ramatu Tijjan:</strong> ;The National Women
Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is widely speculated to head the
Ministry of Women Affairs.</p>



<p><strong>Lai Mohammed:</strong> ;The immediate past
Minister of Information and Culture is not a surprise inclusion. He may be back
in the same Ministry.</p>



<p><strong>Gbemisola Saraki:</strong> ;The former Senator led
the APC assault that led to the collapse of his elder brother’s political
empire in Kwara state. She is tipped to serve as a Minister of State.</p>



<p><strong>Babatunde Fashola</strong>: The immediate past Minister
of Power, Works and Housing is expectedly back to continue with projects he
initiated in the first term.</p>



<p><strong>Olorunnibe Mamora:</strong> ;The former Senator and
Lagos Speaker is a surprise addition to the list considering he was just
appointed Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA)
in 2018.</p>



<p><strong>Mohammed H. Abdullahi:</strong> ;He is the immediate
past Secretary to the State Government, Nasarawa State Government.</p>



<p><strong>Zubair Dada:</strong> ;He is the ; nominee from Niger.
He was born in Minna and he is 67 years old. He is a graduate of the Ahmadu
Bello University where he studied Business studies. He finished in 1974</p>



<p><strong>Olamilekan Adegbite:</strong> ;He is the immediate
past Ogun Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure.</p>



<p><strong>Tayo Alasoadura:</strong> ;The former Senator was
a former Secretary to Ondo State Government.</p>



<p><strong>Rauf Aregbesola:</strong> ;He is the immediate
past Osun Governor and trained engineer.</p>



<p><strong>Sunday Dare:</strong> ;The former editor is
Executive Commissioner (Stakeholder Management) of the Nigerian Communications
Commission. He is to represent Oyo state.</p>



<p><strong>Paulen Talen:</strong> ;The former Deputy
Governor of Plateau is a chieftain of the APC.</p>



<p><strong>Rotimi Amaechi:</strong> ;The immediate past
Minister of Transportation is also a former 2 term governor of Rivers State
from ; 2007-2015. Before then, he was
River State House of Assembly Speaker for 8 years from 1999-2007</p>



<p><strong>Maigarai Dingyadi: </strong> ;Is the nominee from
Sokoto state. He has both business and political background. He is married with
children.</p>



<p><strong>Abubakar D. Aliyu:</strong> ;He is a former deputy
governor of Yobe.</p>



<p><strong>Sadiya Umar Faruk</strong>: The Zamfara-born nominee is
Federal Commissioner of National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and
Internally Displaced Persons.</p>

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