Buhari’s ministers: Weak men, weak minds!

BY SUNDAY OSANYINTUYI

In our days as students of African Church Comprehensive High School, Ikere Ekiti, one of the best times we always look out for is when there was a move by the school authority to announce the school prefects. In those days, it takes something of value for you to be a prefect. In fact, proper checks are done about how you were admitted as well as your family value systems. So, when and if you make the list of the prefects for the school, it called for celebrations and the school authority reference her prefects with dignity.

Today, as a young man, I ask myself why a school will take so much effort to assemble good, competent and character tested boys and girls as prefects? It shows there is a vision the school wants to pursue hence, it can’t afford running with low minds boys and girls. To my Alma mater, I hail you.

Yesterday, Nigerians were greeted with a list of ministerial nominees that will run the affairs of our nation’s government ministries’ for the next four years under President Buhari’s next level agenda. Of course, as expected, the main opposition party in Nigeria, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has postulated. The party condemned the list describing it as uninspiring, incompetent men and a waste of national time. Here what PDP’s publicity secretary, Kola Ologbodiyan said: “President Muhammadu Buhari’s Ministerial list presented to the Senate today is colourless, stagnant, uninspiring and do not convey any sense of hope or purposeful governance under the APC. The list is replete with incompetent individuals who failed in their erstwhile Ministerial assignments and left their Ministries in a shambles. The list has further shown President Buhari and APC‘s insensitivity and disdain for Nigerians and it does not in any way reflect their hope and eagerness for a better Nigeria.”

While the views of the PDP may be true, but Nigerians can remember under her leadership for 16 years, there was no difference or determination to progress the nation. Hence, Nigerians should better come to terms with the reality which is both parties are the same in contents, quality and ideas for making progress and development for the citizenry.

Back to today’s issue, the screening of these nominees will begin today at the senate. Thank goodness, the senate leadership has promised speedy actions. I think unlike my secondary school, President Buhari and the leadership of All Progressive Congress, APC failed to invest quality thoughts into this selection process, hence the list produced can be best described as conglomeration of weak men, weak minds.

Clearly, the list has no dint of technocrat or purposeful men and women who are not blend of political colourations. It is a gathering of politicians who either have cases with anti-graft agency, EFCC or ran their various states aground when they were governors. Today, former Bayelsa state governor, Timipre Sylva has been nominated as Minister and eventually, he will sit in the same Federal Executive Council (FEC) with Festus Keyamo, SAN, the lawyer hired by the EFCC to prosecute him. They will even throw banter. Is this progressive for us as nation?

Otunba Niyi Adebayo who will represent Ekiti state in the next Federal Executive Council has his “feats” in the state. He left proper governance years ago without any touch with current realities or trends. What will Ogbonnaya Onu, Ebonyi State representative offer? What innovations, new moves were accomplished under his supervision as a minister during the previous term of President Buhari? On what basis will you have Gbemisola Saraki representing Kwara State on the next Federal Executive Council? Is her selection based on character and competence or just on political compensation? Senator Tayo Alasoadura represents Ondo State in the next council.What will this old, weak and spent politician offer?

Enough of these deceptions please. Compensating political allies at the expense of national development is the foundation for retrogression in Nigeria. The retrogression is louder than any noise in Nigeria, if only you can hear it. How can a nation explain two decades of democracy without corresponding progress? Every four years, minister of power is appointed but the darkness in the land is increasing. Our road infrastructures and national monuments are in shambles. Yet, mind blowing budgets are made annually but embezzled by political allies are who appointed. Without mincing words, the anti-corruption fight of the current APC led federal government has failed.

This new list of proposed ministers holds no hope for us a nation. It takes the nation backward in terms of development and vision. When a nation lacks vision of development, like Nigeria, the leaders sell the future for today’s satisfactions. Buhari and his next level agenda ministers fit so well into retrogressive minds. In a nation where young and innovative minds are replete, old and weak souls like Ogbonnaya Onu, Adeniyi Adebayo are being paraded as ministers to be. It is a shame on the nation and young Nigerians should save this country from her internal enemies currently in the corridor of power.

Osanyintuyi, a media consultant, can be reached via [email protected]