President
Goodluck Jonathan did not appoint Alhaji Kabiru Tanimu Turaki as defence
minister as widely expected because he wanted to break the purported domination
of the north-west in the Defence Council. He is allegedly holding on to the
defence portfolio.
Two
newly appointed ministers, Prof. Chinedu Osita Nebo from Enugu State and Turaki
from Kebbi State, were sworn in last week to replace the former ministers of
power and defence, Barth Nnaji and Haliru Bello Mohammed respectively, who left
the positions last year.
Instead
of posting Turaki to the defence ministry, President Jonathan made him minister
of special duties in the presidency.
He told the new ministers that Nigerians would judge his coaching abilities by
the innovations they would bring into the federal cabinet.
He
said: “We are admitting two new ministers into our fold. From the profile we
have heard about them they are eminently qualified to serve this country at all
levels. If it is in politics they are eminently qualified to serve as
councillors up to the president of the Federal Republic, by their
antecedents.’’
LEADERSHIP
SUNDAY learnt that,unlike the practice, the new ministers’ portfolios were not
disclosed while the brief swearing-in lasted but came shortly from a statement
from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF),
Senator Anyim Pius Anyim. It disclosed that the president had approved the
appointment of Turaki as minister of special duties and Nebo, minister of
power.
Even
the Senate, which cleared the new ministers, had thought that Turaki would
replace his kinsman, Haliru Mohammed, as defence minister, hence most of the
questions thrown to him during the screening were based on the prevailing
insecurity in the country.
But
a top official of the State House disclosed that Turaki was assigned special
duties to balance power sharing in the polity and to allow President Jonathan
to directly supervise the defence ministry. He said: “Recall that I have been
telling you that the political calculation was not in favour of appointing the
substantive minister from Kebbi State.
We
all know that is where the former minister whom we all respect very well hails
from, but that state is located within the north-west which has more than
enough members in the Committee of Defence. You are aware that is where the
national security adviser [NSA] comes from, the inspector-general of police is
from the zone and, until his retirement, the immediate past chief of air staff
, Air Marshal M.D. Umar, is from the zone; and; in fact, that was why his
successor (Air Marshal D.S. Badeh) has to come from the north-east.’’
According
to the source, President Jonathan was advised to revisit the appointment for
political expediency. ‘‘I am not sure if President Jonathan would assign anyone
as the substantive minister for some reasons, and two of them are: the security
situation in and around the country and the performance of the minister of
state.
You
are aware one of the reasons for the removal of Dr. Haliru Mohammed was because
of the Boko Haram factor, which is still pending. With the situation, President
Jonathan would prefer being in charge with the present arrangement and, in
addition the woman that is there now is doing extremely well. Since the former
minister left, nothing has been left undone.
The
president has no problem with the woman and when you remember that the
immediate past chief of defence staff, Chief Marshal Oluseyi Petinrin (rtd), is
from the south-west where the minister of state hails from; with her in charge
might be a way of placating the Yoruba who are feeling marginalised in the
Jonathan presidency,” he said.
Source:
Leadereship
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