Ministerial Screening: Nominees are recycling materials – Mainasara Umar, others.
TEC News! 2nd August 2023. 1.48am.
Dr Mainasara Umar Kogo has criticized the ongoing screening exercise of the ministerial nominees of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu by the National assembly, saying some of the nominees are recycling materials.
He said this on the weekly program of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) on ‘Tuesday Live’ anchored by Cyril Stober on Tuesday 1st August, 2023.
The called in program which has guests which include Jide Ojo, Engr Sani Iyabagi, Faith Nwadishi and Mainasara Umar Kogo was held between 11pm Tuesday to 12.30am Wednesday also has few citizens called in to express their feelings and view about the ministerial screening exercise.
Mainasara said: “Most of the ministerial nominees are not young men but old and so where is the promise that the young people would be engaged. Some of the nominees are recycling materials. It is becoming a tradition now that those who are former office holders, ministers are coming back to still hold ministerial positions”.
He also said the President should not appoint them in a hurry after the screening but to assemble all the nominees in a hall and tell them to write a blue print on how they intent getting result in their respective assigned ministries in terms of policies and how to make it work. “If the President allow them to go out, they would hire consultants. Let each of them write how they intend to go about their newly assigned responsibility”. The Barrister added.
Jide Ojo
When the Political Analyst, Jide Ojo spoke about the need for people to stop saying the ministerial nominees are recycling materials especially if nominees are competent and the president need to reward their investment by stepping down for him during the election process. Mainasara Umar responded that politics is not an investment.
According to Jide Ojo: “On petroleum issue, I would advise the President against becoming the minister of petroleum himself because he has a lot in his hands especially as the chairman of ECOWAS. President buhari made a mess of the petroleum industry because he served both as the President and also the minister of petroleum . He should also take care of security, so importantly. I have no problem with people been recycled if the persons are competent. These people invested and should reap their investment, if they worked for their principals during the election process”.
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Dr Mainasara Umar Kogo responded “Politics is not an investment. It should be about service not about investment and appointment should not be seen as cutting of cake. We should be able to build the country to prosperity. People should come to serve and not to loot”.
Another guest, Engr Sani Iyabagi in his contributions said: “Mr President would do very well if competent people can be appointed. We need investment in this economy. Your judiciary should be people that can be relied on”
The Executive Director of Center for Transparency Advocacy (CTA), Faith Nwadishi in her words encouraged Inclusion of women representation in the ministerial list in higher percentage. She said inclusion is important and also “like the petroleum sector, we need to build the skills of the youth. We should declare a state of emergency to ensure that our economy is built”.
A guest that called in from Lagos, Bebros said “We are not satisfied with the nomination list sent by the president. It’s like we are just recycling people. Where are the likes of Ekwesili, Dora Akunyili, Okonjo Iweala, etc. Olusegun Obasanjo brought them from nowhere and they transformed the nation through their respective portfolios”.
Tuesday live is a weekly program on Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and most hosted by veteran reporter, Cyril Stober.