Indications have emerged that the much-anticipated cabinet reshuffle by President Bola Tinubu may be announced soon, following a closed-door meeting on Monday with Hadiza Bala-Usman, Special Adviser to the President on Policy Coordination.
This meeting is seen as pivotal in determining the future composition of the cabinet, as the Policy Coordination office is tasked with establishing the criteria for evaluating ministers’ performance and deciding who will be retained or let go.
This responsibility was assigned to the office after the President’s retreat in November 2023, where ministers signed a “Performance Bond.”
The office has also developed a “citizens’ delivery tracker” aimed at gathering empirical data to assess the cabinet members’ effectiveness.
Details of the Monday meeting remain confidential; however, it comes at a critical time, with expectations that the President will not only reshuffle his current ministers but also appoint replacements for key positions that have recently become vacant.
Notably, Simon Lalong, the former Minister of Labour and Employment and President Tinubu’s Presidential Campaign Director General, resigned to take his seat in the Senate representing Plateau South Senatorial District.
Additionally, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management is currently without a minister following the suspension of Betta Edu amid scandals.
There is speculation about whether the President will retain this ministry or merge its responsibilities with those of the Ministry of Finance.
The Ministry plays a crucial role in developing humanitarian policies, coordinating national interventions, and ensuring disaster preparedness and response.
According to BusinessDay, significant appointment expected is the Minister to oversee the newly established Ministry of Livestock Development.
Prior to the President’s two-week annual leave, he expressed dissatisfaction with the performance of several ministers during a Federal Executive Council meeting, according to Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy.
The President directed his ministers to enhance their engagement with the public regarding the achievements of his administration.
Onanuga noted that the Tinubu administration has achieved much in terms of policy initiatives, but added that the President was disappointed that much has been put into the public domain.
He said, “The President has directed the Ministers to engage more with members of the public, especially on the achievements of the current administration.”
Onanuga however could not say when the cabinet was going to be reshuffled, but stated that the President himself has given an indication of his plans to reshuffle the cabinet.
He further stated, “I cannot say exactly when he will reshuffle his cabinet, but the President has indicated his intention to reshuffle his cabinet.
“Whether that will happen before the 1st October, Independence celebration, I cannot tell.”
BusinessDay check indicated that the pressures from interest groups delayed the cabinet reshuffle as some pressure groups emerged to oppose the move.
Mustapha Audu, a Chieftain of the All Progressive Congress APC, while speaking on the issue, counselled the President to reshuffle his cabinet, adding that “50% of the Ministers are underperforming”
“A lot of non-performing members of the cabinet…More than 50% of the cabinet are non-performing. No one knows who they are, and it’s quite unfortunate. We expected so much more, so we expect that from Mr President.”
Audu stated, “In reality, the truth about it is that Nigerians are not feeling the Renewed Hope agenda- that’s just the truth of it.
“Two protests in the space of three months shows us that we’re not actually performing as we promised Nigerians that we would.
“It’s not about having just people occupying positions. You need people with vision, people with understanding, people who know what to do and how to go about doing it.
“Let’s hit the nail on the head, and let’s be direct. First of all, we expect a cabinet reshuffle, at the very least but some members of the Northern Elders Political Development Group, however, passed a vote of confidence on some of the Ministers, especially those from the northern part of the country.”
The group are of the opinion that the cabinet reshuffle was unnecessary a.s according to them, the Ministers have done well.
Adamu Giwa, the Secretary General of the group had given a pass mark to some of the Ministers, including; Farouk Dangiwa Housing, Abubakar Atiku Budget and Economic Planning, Mohammed Matawalle Defense, as well as Christopher Musa, the Chief of Defence Staff.
The group insisted that “Tinubu Ministers have performed creditably well” and charged the President to “concentrate on the fight against insecurity and economic reforms”.
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