Political Issues
On Ministerial Nomination -By Sulaiman Maijama’a
My only quarrel with the list is in reference to the electioneering campaign promise of the president, that his cabinet would be dominated by youth. I don’t know what the word “youth” means to the president. Perhaps people borne in 1960s can still be called youth in their 60s because the list is dominated by this generation.
As section 42 (a) of the Nigeria’s constitution states “the nomination of any person to the office of a Minister for confirmation by the Senate shall be done within sixty days after the date the President has taken the oath of office”, a day before the constructional timeframe elapsed, President Bola Tinubu submitted to the Senate the long-awaited list containing 28 ministerial nominees, requesting the law makers to screen and confirm them.
The list was greeted with mixed reactions by people looking at it from different points of view. While some people recon the list as recycling the old blood with former governors, senators and former Commissioners and their boys dominating the list, others go beyond the surface to give it constitutional consideration, justifying the action of the president. They opine that the constitution only mandates the president to appoint a Minister from each state of the federation. The question of who to appoint, which the constitution is silent about, is left to the discretion of the President.
On women inclusion, section 42 (b) state “not less than ten per cent of persons appointed as Ministers shall be women” and seven of the 28 nominees which represents 25% are women. This was justified beyond what is mandated and expected.
In terms of regional and state consideration, the frequently asked question is why Bauchi, Katsina and Cross Rivers states — all of which President Tinubu lost election to his opponents — get two nominees each, while 11 states, including Lagos, the home state of the president have not got their slot.
Question of competence and merit of people who make the list seems to take a back seat, as people pay more attention to sentiments in terms of political appointment.
My only quarrel with the list is in reference to the electioneering campaign promise of the president, that his cabinet would be dominated by youth. I don’t know what the word “youth” means to the president. Perhaps people borne in 1960s can still be called youth in their 60s because the list is dominated by this generation.
Hopefully the young age might feature in the second batch of the list.
Maijama’a.
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