Editor’s note: The economic recession plaguing Nigeria is taking tolls on Nigerians, especially the downtrodden. While many Nigerians see the problem as the accumulation of misdeeds of the past governments, other believe that the present government is not doing enough to ensure the sinking economy is put back on its track.
In his latest piece, Malam Isah Abbas Ahmed, the NAIJ.com contributor explains how President Muhammadu Buhari’s lack of direction is killing Nigeria’s economy.
It took Buhari about six months to draw members of his cabinet. Initially, Nigerians were looking up to having strongest cabinet full of technocrats. Unfortunately, most people became disappointed when he forwarded the list of his nominees on 30th September 2015. What pained people most is the way he assigned portfolios to them without putting into consideration professionalism.
Food vendors hawking on the street of Lagos
Careful look into Buhari’s cabinet members will give you, at a glance, the obvious reason you should not expect concrete deliverable from the team.
1. Minister of Justice/Attorney General – Law Graduate
2. Minister of Foreign Affairs – Law Graduate
3. Minister of Power, Works and Housing – Law Graduate
4. Minister of Budget & Planning – Law Graduate
5. Minister of Women Affairs – Law Graduate
6. Minister of Information – Law Graduate
7. Minister of Youths & Sports – Law Graduate
8. Minister of Communication – Law Graduate
9. Minister of Finance – Accounting Graduate
10. Minister of Defense – Photogrammetric & Surveying Graduate
11. Minister of Education – Accounting Graduate
12. Minister of Industry, Trade & Investment – MBBS Graduate (Medical Doctor)
13. Minister of FCT – Banking and Finance Graduate
14. Minister of Science & Technology – Chemical Engineering Graduate
15. Minister of Solid Minerals – History, Politics & International Relations Graduate
16. Minister of Interior – Criminal Justice Graduate
17. Minister of Transport – English and Comparative Literature Graduate
18. Minister of Health – MBBS Graduate (Professor of O&G)
19. Minister of Niger Delta – Geography Graduate
20. Minister of Environment - ????
21. Minister of Water Resources – Civil Engineering Graduate
22. Minister of Aviation – Engineering Graduate (Pilot)
23. Minister of Petroleum – SSCE
From the list above, while only four ministries are handed to professionals in those fields, seven good ministries are handed to Lawyers. Most devastating is the way Power, Works and Housing ministry is handed to a lawyer. These (3-in-1) ministry requires an engineer who has, at least, an inkling of how the ministry (ies) should be run. With a lawyer managing it, it is clear that this is the simple reason we are experiencing rapid retardation in power supply.
Additionally, in most developed countries, immediately after election result declaration, the winner (if not incumbent) begins to organise his/her team starting with economic team as priority. Recent example is how the present US President, Donald Trump, constituted Economic Team before he was sworn-into office. Unfortunately for Nigeria and Nigerians, Buhari run his Administration for close to two years without officially inaugurated economic team. This is one of the major reasons our economy is sinking day-in-day-out.
Our only hope, in the end, is when Buhari consider reshuffling his cabinet and assigning professionals to head at least six key ministries.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the editorial policy of Naij.com.
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