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IN DETAIL: North-west gets 10 senior portfolios, south-west 5, south-east 3

PRESIDENT BUHARI SWEARS-IN MINISTERS 7. Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, Minister of State Science and Technology, Alhaji Mohammed H. Abdullahi, Minister of State Foreign Affairs, Amb Zubairu Dada, Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Arc Olamilaken Adegbite and Minister of State Labour and Employment, Sen Tayo Alasoadura during their swearing-in held at the Council Chamber Abuja. PHOTO; SUNDAY AGHAEZE. AUG 21 2019.

President Muhammadu Buhari has constituted  his cabinet of 44 portfolios – but there is a certain “familiarity” about the composition. 

Hinging on zonal distribution, some regions have more junior ministerial positions than others, just as another region takes a large slice of the senior positions.

Out of the 44  positions, the north-west alone, Buhari’s zone, has 10 senior ministerial portfolios (including the president’s portfolio as substantive minister of petroleum), but no junior portfolio.

The southeast has three senior ministerial positions and three junior portfolios; the south-south has three substantive positions in the cabinet, and four junior.

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The south-west has five substantive positions, and three junior positions. The north-central has three senior positions, and four junior positions, while the north-east has four senior positions and three junior positions.

The north-west takes a generous portion both in the number of portfolios and in the strength of the offices.

NORTH-WEST GAVE BUHARI MORE VOTES

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In the last presidential election, Buhari got the highest number of votes from the north-west zone – 5.9 million. Though he won in the 19 northern states, Kano alone gave the president 1.4 million votes.

In the south-west, Buhari won the election in four states – Lagos, Ogun, Osun and Ekiti – with 2.05 million votes. However, he did not win in any state in the south-east. He had only 403, 968 votes; about 25 percent from the entire region.

He garnered 15.2 million votes and won the election with 56 percent of votes from across the country.

The portfolio distribution appears to reflect the voting pattern in the last election.

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NEXT LEVEL OF SECTIONALISM’

Afenifere and Ohanaeze, socio-cultural groups, are not home and dry with the portfolio distribution. Yinka Odumakin, spokesman of Afenifere, has described it as sectional.

”That is next level of sectionalism in your face, and incorrigibility,” he said.

”There have been complaints about all these things since the first term, now, it has been done in a super way. So, that is the next level. Welcome to the next level.”

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Uche Achi-Okpoga, spokesman of Ohanaeze, says the group is not surprised because the president has always shown preference for his region.

”It is not a surprise. We were not expecting anything less. We have a president that does not mince words. He stated in his first tenure that he would not sacrifice those who gave him 97 percent votes to those who gave him may be five percent. So, why should we be surprised that he gave juicy and senior positions to his kinsmen,” he said.

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TheCable presents the portfolio distribution according to regions.

NORTH-CENTRAL

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S/N NAME  STATE PORTFOLIO
1 George Akume Benue Minister of special duties and intergovernmental affairs
2 Ramatu Tijani Kogi Minister of state federal capital territory (FCT)
3 Lai Mohammed Kwara Minister of information and culture
4 Gbemisola Saraki Kwara Minister of state for transportation
5 Muhammed Abdullahi Nasarawa Minister of state science and technology
6 Zubairu Dada Niger Minister of foreign affairs, state
7 Pauline Tallen Plateau Minister of women affairs

NORTH-EAST 

S/N NAME  STATE PORTFOLIO
1 Mohammed Bello Adamawa  Minister of federal capital territory (FCT)
2 Adamu Adamu Bauchi Minister of education
3 Mariam Katagum Bauchi Minister state industry, trade and investment
4 Mustapha Baba Shehuri Borno Minister of state for agriculture and rural development
5 Ali Pantami Gombe Minister of communication
6 Saleh Mamman Taraba Minister of power
7 Abubakar Aliyu Yobe Minister of state works and housing

NORTH-WEST 

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S/N NAME  STATE PORTFOLIO
1 Suleiman Adamu Jigawa Minister of water resources
2 Mohammed Mahmoud Kaduna Minister of environment
3 Zainab Ahmed Kaduna Minister of finance
4 Sabo Nanono Kano Minister of agriculture and rural development
5 Bashir Salihi Magashi Kano Minister of defence
6 Muhammadu Buhari Katsina Minister of petroleum
7 Hadi Sirika Katsina Minister of aviation
8 Abubakar Malami Kebbi Minister of justice
9 Muhammadu Dingyadi Sokoto Minister of police affairs
10 Sadiya Umar Farouk Zamfara Minister of humanitarian affairs, disaster management and social development

SOUTH-EAST

S/N NAME  STATE PORTFOLIO
1 Uchechukwu Ogah Abia Minister of state mines and steel development
2 Chris Ngige Anambra Minister of labour and employment
3 Sharon Ikeazor Anambra Anambra Minister of state for environment
4 Ogbonnaya Onu Ebonyi Minister of science and technology
5 Geofrey Onyeama Enugu Minister of foreign affairs
6 Emeka Nwajuba Imo Minister of sate for education

SOUTH-SOUTH 

S/N NAME  STATE PORTFOLIO
1 Godswill Akpabio Akwa Ibom Minister for Niger Delta
2 Timipre Sylva Bayelsa Minister of state for petroleum
3 Goddy Agba Cross Rivers Minister of state power
4 Festus Keyamo Delta Minister of state Niger Delta
5 Osagie Ehanire Edo Minister of health
6 Clement Agba Edo Minister of state budget and national planning
7 Rotimi Amaechi Rivers Minister of transportation

SOUTH-WEST

S/N NAME  STATE PORTFOLIO
1 Adeniyi Adebayo Ekiti Minister of industry, trade and investment
2 Babatunde Fashola Lagos Minister of works and housing
3 Olorunnimbe Mamora Lagos Minister of state health
4 Olamilekan Adegbite Ogun Minister of mines and steel development
5 Tayo Alasoadura Ondo Minister of state labour and employment
6 Rauf Aregbesola Osun Minister of interior
7 Sunday Dare Oyo Minister of youth and sports

 

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