By Uche Amunike
One of the most keenly awaited developments in Nigeria today, is the much expected ministerial list by President Bola Tinubu, which from all indications, will be unveiled, Thursday, after the Sallah holiday.
The list is a critical component of the president’s vision for the country and Nigerians believe that a new cabinet that will take care of insecurity, corruption and economic development is what they are expecting President Tinubu present to the country.
They stated that their expectation was that President Bola Tinubu would appoint competent people with good track records of success in their different fields, so as to be able to initiate and implement progress and development.
During an interview with newsmen, most Nigerians expressed their hope that President Bola Tinubu’s choices will show Nigerians inclusivity and diversity, even as they are able to tackle the many challenges facing the country.
A respondent, Segun Awosanya, who is an institutional reforms advocate known as Segalinks, indicated that he has been impressed by how decisive, the Tinubu administration has been.
According to him, the next set of ministers in Nigeria must possess qualities of integrity, competence, the ability to communicate, teamwork, experience and vision.
His words: ‘There are several qualities that one can consider as critical for the ministers in a developing economy like Nigeria and under the new administration of Ahmed Bola Tinubu, some of which include- competence. The ministers should be very competent in their areas of responsibility, possessing the skills, knowledge and experience required to perform their duties effectively, not about cronyism, or religion.’
‘The job of a minister is not as commanding as one would think. A minister is a visionary, somebody who carries the vision of the administration into a sector which he has been appointed to guide the bureaucrats. The permanent secretaries and other officials in the ministry will always be there, but they need a visionary in that sector, to guide them, and even create impactful reforms.
‘So the experience to do that is very essential. Ministers are not people who share money, in fact, they don’t even touch money and they should be there to feather their own nests.’
‘Another important factor is Integrity. Our ministers must have high moral character and have a track record of honesty, transparency and accountability. If you bring somebody, simply because the person funded your election, you will ruin the beliefs, trusts, hearts and minds that have been won during the elections.’
On his part, the national president of the Association of Micro Entrepreneurs of Nigeria, AMEN, also advised President Bola Tinubu to appoint technocrats with experience, into sensitive positions, so that they will be able to listen to the complaints of manufacturers.
Hear him: ‘Government should appoint someone with a business background that would listen to manufacturers complaints as the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment and not bringing a lawyer or engineer to head the ministry.’
For Alhaji Rasheed Awofeso, who is a social worker of the Child and Community Response Initiative, CCRI, his expectation is that the ministerial list will be composed of people who are capable of bringing bright ideas that will tackle the different challenges facing Nigerians like insecurity.
His words: ‘The country has been grappling with the Boko Haram insurgency in the northeast for over a decade, which has led to the displacement of millions of people and the loss of thousands of lives.’
‘In addition, banditry and communal clashes have been on the rise in other parts of the country, leading to further loss of lives and property.’
‘The expectations of Nigerians are that the new ministers will have the necessary expertise and experience to address these security challenges and bring lasting peace to the country. There is also a hope that the new cabinet will be able to tackle corruption, which has been a major issue in Nigeria for decades.’
