Buhari’s Ministerial Nominee List Lacks Innovation – ASUU President

The President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, said President Muhammadu Buhari’s list lacked innovation.

Recall that the president recently released the list which had seven women on Tuesday.

The Senate had therefore postpone their recess to next week in order to screen the nominees; which thety started yesterday.

READ: Senate Postpones Recess to Screen Ministerial Nominees

While noting that the President did not attach portfolios to the names of the nominees, AASu president noted that there is no injection of fresh people with fresh ideas.

“The other observation is that there isn’t much innovation on the list. People are talking of a generation change and injecting fresh blood or a mixture of the old and the new. But the new names on the list are people who have been in the political circle for some time. I am sure the younger generation would have been looking out for a list that would have accommodated their interest and representation.”

Speaking in the same vein in an interview with Punch, the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association said the ministerial nominees list contained mostly names of recycled politicians.

The Director-General, NECA, Timothy Olawale, who noted that Nigerians had waited and expected to see some names of technocrats on the list, but discovered that the list contained mostly recycled politicians that were picked based on political patronage and mostly for their roles as party men.

“We had expected that with the delay by the President in constituting his cabinet, the team would be populated by professionals that had distinguished themselves in their area of calling.

“That the selection would be based on merit and what they could offer by way of adding value to governance. While we cannot say those on the list cannot deliver on the government’s agenda, we note that they are mostly recycled politicians that are picked based on political patronage and mostly for their roles as party men.

“We had hoped party considerations would be set aside to assemble technocrats that could lead the nation out of its current economic doldrums,” he said.

READ: I Am Under Tremendous Pressure to Unveil Ministerial Nominee List – Buhari

He therefore hoped that the tenure of the ministers-designate in office will be that of meritorious service to the nation and the good of the people and not marked by opportunity to recoup expenses incurred for political activities in the last elections.

“Nigerians are watching to assess them and it remains to be seen if they will selflessly live up to expectations.”