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Enioluwa Adeniyi
Guest
President Bola Tinubu departed Abuja on Wednesday for the United Kingdom, where he will spend two weeks on a working holiday.
This retreat comes at a time when pressure mounts from ministers keen on retaining their positions in the anticipated cabinet reshuffle, along with intense lobbying from politicians seeking entry into the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
The President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, stated that the holiday will serve as an opportunity for President Tinubu to reflect on his administration’s economic reforms.
According to The Guardian, reports suggest that he will also use this period to make final decisions regarding his new team and review security assessments on various politicians and technocrats who may be considered for cabinet positions.
Onanuga hinted at a potential reshuffle of the council during a briefing on September 25, although he refrained from disclosing a timeline for moving or dismissing ministers appointed in August of the previous year.
Expectations were high that the President would submit the names of new appointees to the National Assembly for screening before Nigeria’s 64th Independence anniversary, yet this has not materialized.
In an interesting twist, several lobbyists and their influential backers are expected to temporarily relocate to the UK to persuade the President of their competence in helping to implement his Renewed Hope agenda.
A report from the President’s Special Adviser on Policy Coordination and the Central Delivery Coordination Unit (CDCU) is anticipated to play a critical role in shaping decisions regarding the ministers, with many reportedly scoring below average in their performance.
The Guardian reported on September 26 that the upcoming reshuffle could affect as many as 11 ministers and special advisers.
In light of these developments, the National President of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), Debo Adeniran, urged President Tinubu to focus on key performance indicators, public perception, and achievements when making final decisions about his cabinet.
Adeniran emphasized the importance of appointing individuals free from corruption, advocating for the selection of only those with strong leadership qualities to guide the administration forward.
Adeniran said, “Those engaged in frivolous spending or corruption should not be reconsidered. Similarly, new appointees should have a track record of integrity, strong ethics, and a commitment to public service. The President should ensure that those appointed are not driven by personal gain or ambition but by a genuine desire to serve the people.
“By following these guidelines, President Tinubu can create a cabinet that truly serves the people rather than personal interests. Integrity in public service is very important. The need for a more effective, corruption-free administration cannot be overemphasised. By prioritising competence and integrity, President Tinubu can restore public trust and move Nigeria forward.”
According to Adeniran, ministers found to be corrupt should be dismissed without sentimentality. He stressed that Nigeria cannot afford to tolerate anyone lacking integrity in public office.
However, the National President of Njiko Igbo, Reverend Okechukwu Obioha, said introducing new members into the federal cabinet would not solve the country’s current challenges.
Obioha pointed out that the process that produced the country’s current leadership was flawed. He added that his administration will continue to falter until President Tinubu acknowledges these inadequacies and initiates processes to address them.
Obioha said, “If he likes, let him change two-thirds of his ministers. It will not make the needed impact. When the head is sick, the whole body is ill. The process that brought his leadership to power is faulty, and he has refused to acknowledge it. It is high time for him to apologise for the flawed process; this will enable him to have a direction for his government; otherwise, he will continue to fail.
“What we are practising now is not democracy. Tinubu was part of the call for democracy in this country through his activism with NADECO, but he has not done anything to show that he is a true democrat. So, anybody trying to talk about the internal organisation of this administration so that we can have meaning in our lives is wasting their time. The leadership of this country is sick and rotten, both in terms of the process that brought him in.
“He needs to make restitution. We don’t have a democracy. What we have is leadership by the people who care about themselves alone. If the head becomes healthy, it will trickle down. The head is not genuine, so there is no way you can put new wine into an old wineskin and expect it to work. Until there is restitution until he realises that so much is wrong with his leadership, things cannot begin to look good.
“He is talking about a youth confab, and that is because of the protests he has seen so far. The confab is not what will heal the country. Let him go to the confab report of 2014, dust it off, and put it to work. He has all the powers to change things, but he has chosen to play to the gallery, thinking that inflicting pain on the people is the way out. It is not.”
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