Posted by Screening, positioning for Nigeria’s new and re-appointed ministers begin in Abuja
Special to USAfricaonline.com and USAfrica e-group Nigeria360.
The screening by Nigeria’s national assembly of the ministerial/cabinet nominees from Nigeria’s Acting President Goodluck Jonathan begins Monday March 29, 2010 with divergent views on his new appointees and major retreads of former ministers and sons/spouses of former leaders/minsters.
The Senate plans what its deputy spokesman Anthony Manzo called an extraordinary session to vet the nominees.
Nigeria policy and political types are speculating on who gets what position.
USAfrica correspondents in Nigeria say that two remarkable, curious names are those of Murtala Yar’Adua, the son of he older brother of the ailing President Yar’Adua; and the Josephine Anenih, wife of the controversial former minister of works and the ruling PDP chieftain Anthony Anenih.
One of the commendable indications is the nomination of a world known investment banker from Goldman Sachs, Olusegun Aganga. He will be following in the tracks of similar appointees in recent governments such as World bank exec Dr. Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
——–
Jonathan unveiled a partial list of potential ministers (last) Wednesday after recently sacking the entire cabinet, with some of the names (initially) signaling he wants to be seen as taking charge, even if gradually.
The list of 33 names follows months of political paralysis in the African oil giant and includes nine officials from the 42-member cabinet he dissolved a week ago.
Jonathan dissolved the cabinet as he moved to assert his authority after taking power from Yar’Adua, who only recently returned to Nigeria after three months in Saudi Arabia for treatment for a heart condition.
Two former junior ministers — Odein Ajumogobia, who was in the oil ministry, and Godsday Orubebe, who was responsible for the restive Niger Delta region — are among the nine he wants to retain.
Others are ex-information minister Dora Akunyili and former planning minister Samsudeed Usman.
Sanusi Daggash, a former minister of planning in the 1999-2007 administration of former president Olusegun Obasanjo, has also made it onto the list.
Senate President, former army officer David Mark read out the names of the 33 ministers out of an expected 42-strong cabinet, though portfolios have not yet been allocated. It was not clear when the rest of the names will be unveiled.
“I forward herewith the names of the first batch of the nominees for appointment as ministers of the government of the federation for the consideration and confirmation of the Senate,” said Jonathan in a letter read out to senators by Mark.
Jonathan, who was vice president under Yar’Adua, took power in Africa’s most populous nation six weeks ago. Yar’Adua has not been seen in public since he was taken ill four months ago.
Lagos-based analyst Dapo Thomas described Jonathan’s line-up so far as “forward-looking and balanced.”
“The list is not loaded with re-cycled old men and women of professional politicians,” said Thomas, of Lagos State University, adding it showed “a new direction in Jonathan’s political culture”.
Jonathan is eyeing a pro-reform government for the west African giant, where much of the population of 150 million lives in poverty without basics such as water and electricity despite its oil wealth.
He first made minor changes to the cabinet shortly after parliament voted him into office last month, but last week’s move signaled his intention for major changes.
He has consulted with technical advisors and politicians, including former heads of state, in his effort to come up with an acceptable line-up.
As specified in the constitution, each of the nation’s 36 states is expected to be represented in the cabinet.
Local media said the acting president was also under immense pressure and lobbying from Yar’Adua allies to push through some of their nominees.
Yar’Adua unexpectedly returned to Nigeria on February 24 after 93 days in a Jeddah hospital.
Nigeria’s ruling party said Wednesday it was backing Jonathan, denying a rift with the presidency. ref: AFP
–
Related commentary: Goodbye to Nigeria’s President Yar’Adua…. By Chido Nwangwu, Publisher of USAfricaonline.com, CLASSmagazine, Houston and the e-group Nigeria360. http://www.usafricaonline.com/welcome-goodbye-yaradua-by-chido-nwangwu/
See news reports on this issue across USAfricaonline.com and our blog on yahoo: Nigeria360
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nigeria360/
Leave a Reply