Fresh reports just reaching us indicate that President Muhammadu Buhari is likely to appoint himself as the new Nigerian minister of petroleum resources for 18 months before appointing a substantive minister for the ministry.
The President said this while meeting with some members of his political party, the All Progressives Congress, in Abuja recently.
One of those at the meeting, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told newsmen in Abuja on Sunday, that the President said he would use the one and a half years of heading the sensitive ministry to reposition it.
According to him, “At the meeting we had recently, we discussed the issues of portfolios and other matters,” the President said he was going to handle the Ministry of Petroleum himself for about 18 months.
“He said it was after this that he would appoint a substantive minister for the ministry. He said he would only personally handle the reorganisation of the much-important ministry.
“Besides, he said the ministry needed to be reformed and be rid of corruption. He promised to sanitise the ministry.”
It was, however, gathered that the President was thinking of appointing an experienced person as his special adviser on petroleum.
Buhari was once a minister in charge of the ministry and because of his experience, he was said to have vowed to make sure that he blocked all the loopholes that enabled those manning the ministry to either steal money or petroleum products.
Speaking on the issue, the Peoples Democratic Party said it would be too early to speculate on whether the President would head the ministry or not.
Rather, the opposition party urged Nigerians to wait till September when the President promised to name his cabinet.
The Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the party, Alhaji Ibrahim Jalo, told our correspondent that he was only sure that the President was going to split the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.
Jalo said, “That Buhari is going to head the ministry is speculative. But what we know, going by his body language and actions so far, is that he is going to split the NNPC.
“This is what we know. So, let’s wait and see what he’s going to do before we make comments.”
However, the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties said the constitution vested powers on the President to head any ministry or parastatal of his choice or appoint a representative.
The National Publicity Secretary of the organisation, Mr. Osita Okechukwu, said that Section 5 of the 1999 Constitution “vested executive powers on the President.
He said, “He can decide to exercise such powers by himself or delegate it to his deputy, or public officers of the public service of the federation. That’s what the law says.
“Whether he chooses to manage any ministry by himself is immaterial. Whether he decides to be in charge of ministries such as power, works, women affairs or culture does not mean anything to the Nigerian people.” Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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Plsssss Let The VP also be named the Minister of National Planning Commission. It is such a critical Ministry worldwide but so bastardized in Nigeria.
ReplyDeleteSo all of these fights is just about the oil of the Niger Delta people? Nothing more, Nothing less. Its such a big pity, more pitiable is the weak and foolish niger delta people, too much judas in their midst, not united to present a formidable front, and they will just be the sacred cow to Nigeria but benefits nothing from it. They will only have the environmental hazards of oil spillage as their reward, sickness and diseases comes with oil spillage, but Nigeria don't just care so far they get the oil and proceeds that comes from it. Niger Delta region wake up from your slumber and know ye that every political tussle that goes on in Nigeria is all about your oil!
ReplyDeleteWell, the same Niger Delta people are the ones bursting the oil pipelines causing pollution, and then running to CNN to come and see how oil companies pollute their land and the creeks. Oil companies do not make money from spilled oil - they need the oil in tankers, not in the farmlands or creeks. But the Niger Deltans cut their nose to spite their face by sabotaging pipelines, thereby destroying their own livelihood.
DeleteThat is because they do not feel like they own the oil and have no little stake in it for all the suffering they go through.
DeleteAnonymous 9:53, I don't know what u really want the country to do for this ppl again. The government has pump a lot of money to that region to compensate them for the effect of oil drilling. They have the Niger delta ministry, NDDC, they benefits from they amnesty programme, and also survelance contract too was awarded. Apart from all these which has cost the federal government billions if not trillions of nara does not include their state allocation. So ppl tell me, what more can one do to make them not suffer. I think they need to look inward and fight those they call their leaders. Those who head this programme and who are in charge of these funds the government has made available. Those who say they fight in the name of the Niger delta but instead conner all that has been provided for the region.
DeleteGuy do ur findings very well before u come here to open ur mouth. The Niger delta states gets the highest allocation. So many projects that will not be executed that has been paid for. Their problem is greed from their own people. Nothing Nigeria can do more than that. Do u know how many scholarship s this people enjoy, bigger allocation and so on...
DeleteAmaechi, #Rivers people know I don't like money, has yet lost another round if this news item is true
ReplyDelete