- Presidential aides compiling names of non-performing ministers – Insiders
- Appointees, godfathers lobby APC chieftains, President’s associates
- With Tinubu, only performance can save their jobs – Party stakeholders
- Presidency keeps mum
An imminent cabinet reshuffle in President Bola Tinubu’s administration has sent fear among ministers, particularly those whose names popped up as likely casualties.
Speculations are rife that some supposedly powerful but ineffective ministers may be shown the exit for non-performance.
Some jittery ministers were said to be making frantic calls to the seat of government, Aso Rock Villa, and to close associates of the President in order to get their way through.
The impending cabinet reshuffle, which was dismissed as untrue in January by the presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, is said to be part of a re-invigorating exercise in which the President would ostensibly bring on board some fresh limbs from his much awaited ‘team A’.
The Presidency had said in January that a possible cabinet reshuffle by President Tinubu would have to wait until the ongoing investigations into the alleged fraud in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation and its Social Investment Programmes have provided conclusive ends.
It however said the President would not spare any individual found culpable.
Ngelale made this disclosure on January 14, 2024 when he spoke on a national television programme.
Efforts to confirm the latest development on Sunday were unsuccessful as the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, did not respond to telephone calls and WhatsApp messages.
However, it was gathered that the Asokoro, Abuja home of the national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Abdullahi Ganduje had become a magnet for Nigerian politicians and serving ministers who are gripped by the fears of being sacked by the President as he mulls a reorganization of his cabinet.
The Point’s investigations revealed that the APC Chairman rarely goes to the party’s national secretariat at Blantyre Street, Wuse 2, in Abuja as he is daily engaged and tied down in his house by politicians and political appointees.
“President Tinubu is a thorough-bred administrator, businessman and politician. He has his ears everywhere, his eyes on everything. He has zero tolerance for non-performance.”
Impeccable sources at the national secretariat told The Point that activities had shifted from the party’s national secretariat to the chairman’s residence and that even his colleagues in the National Working Committee hardly come to the office except when they have a meeting.
“The national chairman has been tied down in his house by these ministers and their political godfathers who have been terrified by the impending cabinet reshuffle. They are at his residence on a daily basis lobbying him to beg the President to retain them or their godson in the cabinet reshuffle but they will be shocked in the end.
“From what I know, the President has a team collating the names of the ministers that are working and those that are a misfit to his administration. His aides are working tirelessly to make sure the backlash he has received as a result of incompetent appointees ends with his one year anniversary and that is why cabinet reshuffle is a concluded matter.”
AIDES COMPILE NAMES OF NON-PERFORMING MINISTERS
According to reliable sources, the Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Policy and Coordination and Head, Central Delivery and Coordination Unit, Hadiza Bala Usman, is already compiling names of the non-performing ministers as the President has concluded plans to drop them and appoint reliable hands that will meet his desired cabinet during his one year in office anniversary.
“The Special Adviser on Policy and Coordination has been compiling names of ministers and ministries whose performances have rather created room for attacks on the young administration rather than help it gain Nigeria’s confidence. It will surprise you to hear that some names that pride themselves as ‘Tinubu’s boys’ are prominent on the list. If they are not removed completely from the cabinet, they will surely be moved to some lesser ministries. I’m telling you from what I have seen, it is not speculation.
“Another surprise package waiting for them is that the President is unlike his predecessor who didn’t care about what his ministers were doing with the assignments and responsibilities bestowed on them during his eight years in office. President Tinubu is a thorough-bred administrator, businessman and politician. He has his ears everywhere, his eyes on everything. He has zero tolerance for non-performance,” an impeccable inside source said.
APC NWC UNDER PRESSURE
The Point further gathered that the NWC is under fire with allegations and counter allegations among the members. However, most of the allegations have been found to be frivolous.
A source close to the NWC, who would not want to be mentioned, said, “The chairman they are lobbying is under pressure. The NWC has had so many issues to grapple with since the allegations of financial misappropriation by some members hit the committee. Although these allegations have yet to be established, some of them are so weighty to ignore and that is why the President himself has waded in. Now, how can these ministers get help from the chairman whose house is on fire?
“Before taking anyone to the President to plead for his or her retention in the cabinet, his matter in the NWC must first of all be settled for him to have one house. As for now, the NWC is divided and cannot speak with one voice. Some are pushing for the mini convention immediately after the President’s first year anniversary. You see, it’s a difficult situation for those ministers who have turned the chairman’s house to where they break fast for both Muslims and Christians in order to curry favour from him.”
MINISTRIES UNDER WATCH
It was gathered that some ministries are more under watch than others based on complaints by Nigerians, including past and present indices of performance.
Most of the ministers who have the intelligence report that the President is not comfortable with their services in the last 10 months are, however, said to be running helter-skelter to retain their jobs.
While some embark on the journey by themselves, others use their godfathers to reach out.
Experts have, however, described some ministers as unnecessary baggage in the Tinubu administration. They include the Ministers of Power, Environment, Education and Youth Development as well as ICT.
While some supporters have refused to agree that the aforementioned ministers and their ministries have poor score sheets, their counterparts in Transport, Health, Finance, Internal Affairs, Solid Minerals Development, Works and Housing, Foreign Affairs have been given accolades following their resilience in tackling the problems bedeviling the country as they emerge.
“When you talk about a minister who showed his commitment to the Renewed Hope mantra of President Tinubu, the Minister of Transport will readily come to mind. During the 2023 Christmas celebration, this government came with a programme that cushioned the hardship via supplementing the transport fares to all zones of the country.
Coordinator of a US-based Non-governmental Organisation, Initiative for Growth, Dr. Niyi Sobowale, said, “Do you think that was a minor thing? Many people who would have cancelled their travelling to the village did travel because of that. Till tomorrow, people are still talking about it. That’s a plus to this administration. But look at the story from Power; we are hearing that the minister said we should be prepared to pay more even though they are not supplying the electricity to us. That of education is a gory tale. The student’s loan saga has become a minus to this administration. Is it not the minister and his ministry that should spearhead it but look at the hiccups? Everyone is now blaming the President.”
Sources said the ministers in the non-performing league were in panic mode as President Tinubu had, through one of his aides, reportedly warned them during the retreat he had with them in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, that his administration would not be turned to a dumping ground, where once you have been appointed, you remain appointed whether you are working or not.
PRESIDENT TO FLAG OFF THREE-STEP APPROACH TO ASSESS MINISTERS, MDAS
A source close to the presidency revealed that President Tinubu is set to flag off a three-step approach to assess his Ministers and heads of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies ahead of his first year in office on May 29, 2024.
According to the source, the aim is to provide a platform that will allow members of the public to make inputs about the ministers that will be retained and those that may be asked to go.
Other impeccable sources at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, told journalists that the President would launch the platform, enabling Nigerians to provide feedback on their assessment of each minister and their performance.
“This will be done at three different levels. First, you have members of the public who can, through the platform, get relevant information on President Bola Tinubu’s targets for each Ministry and through that give feedback on the performance of each Minister based on the targets provided.
“The next stage will be an evaluation carried out by the Policy Coordination office, and lastly, a group of Consultants will also give their assessments on the Ministers’ performance.
“So, these will be the basis for determining which Minister stays and those that will leave the cabinet because of poor performance,” one of the sources explained.
“They are embarking on efforts in futility. President Tinubu listens to one man and as I speak with you, this man does not believe in lobbying for a position. The more you lobby, the more you destroy your chances.”
The President had while swearing-in his Ministers warned them that performance was the only criteria that could keep them in the office.
“It’s either you perform or you will be shown the way out,” he had said.
PRESIDENT DOESN’T BELIEVE IN LOBBYING
Another source in the APC secretariat told The Point that those rushing to the national chairman’s house to lobby so that they would be retained were making a mistake.
“They are embarking on efforts in futility. President Tinubu listens to one man and as I speak with you, this man does not believe in lobbying for a position. The more you lobby, the more you destroy your chances. He knows these ministers who are not performing, no matter who their godfathers are, he will not advise the President to retain them.
“Mark my word, if the Chairman pushes for them, it may affect his position,” a source noted.
Meanwhile, some NWC members are still lobbying for ministerial appointments.
Our investigations revealed that some of them who believed they missed being on the list at the first instance have intensified efforts to make the list when the reshuffle takes place.
Assessing the performances of the ministers, John Okiolor, leader of a Group, Quality Governance and Benefits said the reason behind the poor performance of some ministers was because their appointments were politically motivated.
“They are grossly incompetent but unfortunately for them, the man they are working with does not tolerate failure. He has warned them, and you will rest assured that he will do it. Those performing woefully will not be spared if this Tinubu is the same that governed Lagos State,” Okiolor said.
