By Dare Ojepe
It’s regrettable and inelegant that the conversation on the Ministerial List has been reduced to who owns who or who nominated who on the list as opposed to the all-important question of competence and credibility. For me, the pertinent questions should be- are the would-be ministers qualified, credible and deserving of their nominations or not? Will they bring value to the cabinet and work to improve the living conditions of our people? If the answers to these questions are in the affirmative, then there is no problems.
Those who are ignorant and lack credible intelligence about the emergence of the nominees can say whatever they want or write whatever they like. Just like me, I think the APC National leader Asiwaju Tinubu has no problems whatsoever with the list because the nominees are mostly his allies. Some mischievous guys claim, for instance, that he played no role in the nomination of Mr. Sunday Akin Dare. Tell that to the marines! So he won’t know about how Mr. Dare, his immediate-past Media Adviser/Chief of Staff, who he brought to Aso Rock Villa and linked with those that matter there, got the plum nomination? Or the likes of the immediate-past Minister of Information Lai Mohammed and former two-time Speaker of Lagos House of Assembly and ex-Senator for Lagos East, Senator Olorunnibe Mamora, both of whom reportedly raced to Tinubu’s Asokoro residence after the list became public, are no longer Asiwaju’s associates? Or former Deputy National Chairman of APC, Otunba Niyi Adebayo, is not Asiwaju’s ally, not to talk of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, the former Governor of State of Osun- a known Asiwaju diehard. How many of those said not to be from Asiwaju would remain on that list if he truly opposed them? If in doubt go and ask former Lagos Governor, the calamitous Akin Ambode.
If you must know, there is this pan-Nigerian outlook of Asiwaju’s men and women on the list that gladdens the heart of those around the leader.
Let’s examine some names on that solid list: Gbemi Saraki whom he helped to end her brother’s hegemony in Kwara. Former Benue Governor and former Minority Leader of the Senate, Senator George Akume, who many reckon the leader always pushed to be Senate President. Dr. Uchechukwu Samson Ogah from Abia who also came to pay homage to him in Abuja after his nomination. Saddiya Umar Farouk who played a yeoman’s role in the sealing the merger that birthed APC. Former Deputy Governor of Plateau State Mrs. Pauline Tallen, who tells whoever cares to listen that Asiwaju is her mentor and leader. I can go on and on. But this is just to mention a few to dispel their noxious notionfuel by hate and envy.
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