3 November 2008
A GOOD number of those being considered by President Umaru Yar'Adua as replacements for the 20 ministers laid off last week are technocrats, Vanguard gathered yesterday.
Most, if not all, of the dropped ministers were politicians nominated by the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) in the states.
However, Vanguard can now report that President Yar'Adua is disposed to picking technocrats over and above politicians in what is believed to be a move to protect his cabinet from political manipulations.
Sources said most of those he has contacted have asked for time to decide on the offer.
This is partly responsible for the delay in sending the names of the nominees to the Senate for ratification. But it is expected that the names will reach the Senate this week.
Dropped by President Yar'Adua from his cabinet at its last meeting were Adamu Maina Waziri, Charles Ugwu, Ahmed Garba Bichi, Igwe Aja-Nwachukwu, Jerry Anthony Agadal, Fatima Balaraba Ibrahim, Emmanuel Olatunde Odusina, Halima Tayo Alao, Aliyu Modibbo Umar, John James Akpanudoedehe, Tijani Yahaya Kaura, Ibrahim Dasuki Nakande, Alhaji Haruna Hassan, Sarafa Tunji Isola, Ahmed Mohammed Gusau, Felix Hyatt, John Okechukwu Emeka, Saudatu Usman Bungudu, Mohammed Sanusi Daggash, Abdulrahman Hassan Gimba
In a statement, Mr Olusegun Adeniyi, Special Adviser to the President (Media & Publicity), had said: "At the conclusion of today's (Wednesday) meeting of the Federal Executive Council, President Yar'Adua thanked the outgoing ministers for their services to the nation since the inception of the present administration and wished them well in their future endeavours.
"The President also directed that until new Ministers are confirmed by the Senate and sworn into office, Mr. Remi Babalola (Minister of State, Finance), will serve as Supervising Minister for the Federal Capital Territory Authority.
"Similarly, Mr. Demola Seriki (Minister of State, Agriculture and Water Resources) will serve as Supervising Minister for the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development while Dr. Aliyu Idi Hong (Minister of State, Culture and Tourism will serve as Supervising Minister for the Federal Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
"Alhaji Alhassan Bako Zaku (Minister of State, Science & Technology) is to act as Supervising Minister for the National Sports Commission; Elder Godsday Orubebe (Minister, Special Duties) will act as Supervising Minister/Vice Chairman, National Planning Commission and Mrs. Grace Ekpiwhre (Minister, Science & Technology) will oversee the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs."
However, the Action Congress (AC) has criticised the Yar'Adua administration for bringing governance to a halt with the unnecessarily long delay in carrying out the much-advertised reshuffle of his cabinet.
National Publicity Secretary of the party, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in a statement said the administration's decision to carry out the cabinet change in installments had finally grounded the governance that was not up to speed in the first instance.
It said though supervisory ministers had been named for the ministries affected in the reshuffle, pending the appointment of substantive ministers, it is doubtful whether such a stop-gap arrangement could make any impact."It stands to reason that ministers who have so far failed to make an appreciable impact in their own ministries cannot perform any better in the extra ministries they have been asked to supervise," AC said.
The party said President Umaru Yar'Adua should not have rushed to drop the 20 ministers when he knew he had yet to decide on their replacements.
"What is the need for the rush in dropping the ministers when those to replace them have not been determined? After all, the whole noise about cabinet reshuffle started in May 2008, over five months now.
"Even as Nigerians groan under the yoke of poor or non-existent governance, the fear of being dropped virtually paralyzed the ministers into inaction, as they battled tooth and nail to remain on the gravy train.
"As it were, what should have been a routine exercise has been turned into another instrument to slow down governance and hold Nigerians to ransom, more or less. This is totally unacceptable and it is another indication that the Yar'Adua administration has no genuine plans to turn around the fortunes of our country,"
AC said.It said the dropping of 20 ministers- about half of the number in the cabinet -in one fell swoop is itself an admission of failure by the Yar'Adua administration.
The party called on the President to immediately send the list of his new ministers to the Senate, as a first step in filling the portfolios that have been left empty - more or less - at a time the administration should be in a hurry to provide Nigerians with dividends of democracy, which they have been sadly denied since 29 May 1999 when the do-nothing PDP government assumed office.
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When, under any version of the theory of democracy, did "technocrats" become the voix de peuple, the voice of the people? Does this remind you, if your memory rocks, of the idiocy of Lenin, Stalin, and their images in Hitler and his buddy in Italy?
Moreover, technocrats are not immune from corruption; no man or woman is. Thus, where is the beef?
Democracy has been perverted in the name of the war on corruption, and in the process, the "will" of the people has been effaced.
Silly.
Cheers.
For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. 15: And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. 16: Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. 17: And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. 18: But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money. 19: After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. 20: And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. 21: His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 22: He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. 23: His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 24: Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: 25: And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. 26: His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: 27: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. 28: Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. 29: For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. 30: And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
MAYBE THIS IS WHY??
For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. 15: And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. 16: Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. 17: And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. 18: But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money. 19: After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. 20: And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. 21: His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 22: He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. 23: His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 24: Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: 25: And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. 26: His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: 27: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. 28: Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. 29: For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. 30: And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
MAYBE THIS IS WHY??
For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. 15: And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. 16: Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. 17: And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. 18: But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money. 19: After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. 20: And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. 21: His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 22: He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. 23: His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 24: Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: 25: And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. 26: His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: 27: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. 28: Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. 29: For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. 30: And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
MAYVE THIS IS WHT??
For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. 15: And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. 16: Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. 17: And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. 18: But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money. 19: After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. 20: And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. 21: His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 22: He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. 23: His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 24: Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: 25: And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. 26: His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: 27: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. 28: Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. 29: For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. 30: And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
MAYVE THIS IS WHT??
what a man soweth that he shall reap. every man's sin will catch up with him. only God can save us.
What a country? Why did he accept these thieves in the first place? If Mr President is smart, he should have noticed that the technocrates in the last government out-performed their "politicain thieves" counterparts. My guess is that those dropped 20 was the accepted payback for giving him the presidency. Now that they have had their fill out of our coffers, the deal has been consumated. I just hope the new EFCC woman is able, willing and prepared to hold these rouges to account.