A strategist and policy analyst, Baba Yusuf, has lamented the recurrent appointments of former governors as ministers into successive governments since the return of democracy in 1999.
According to Yusuf, including a significant number of former governors in President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet is a thing of concern, particularly when one looks at the poor track records of some of them.
He said, “As far as I am concerned, from the outcome of the ministerial lists, it is highly likely that this administration may yet again be overshadowed by the combination of governors, former governors, former and serving ministers.”
His concerns stem from the fact that successive governments since the return of democracy to Nigeria have permanently appointed former governors as cabinet members, a trend Yusuf describes as worrisome.
Naija News gathered that from the tenure of former President Olusegun Obasanjo to that of Muhammadu Buhari as successive governments have appointed no fewer than 24 ex-governors to serve in their administrations as ministers.
And recently, President Bola Tinubu appointed nine former governors to be part of his cabinet.
Following the return to democracy in 1999, former President Olusegun Obasanjo appointed two ex-governors: Rabiu Kwankwaso and Cornelius Adebayo, to his cabinet.
Obasanjo’s successor, Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, had three ex-governors in his cabinet, namely: Achike Udenwa, Sam Egwu, and Adamu Aliero.
Similarly, President Buhari’s government had ten ministers who were ex-governors. They were: Chris Ngige, Kayode Fayemi, Babatunde Fashola, Rotimi Amaechi, Niyi Adebayo, Rauf Aregbeshola, Godswill Akpabio, Timipire Sylva, Ogbonnaya Onu, and George Akume.
Tinubu presented nine former governors out of the 48 names he submitted to the National Assembly for screening as ministers
The nine governors who have passed the Senate’s ministerial screening are David Umahi; Nyesom Wike; Mohammed Badaru; Nasiru Ahmed El-Rufai (his confirmation is on hold); Adegboyega Oyetola; Atiku Bagudu; Bello Matawalle; Ibrahim Geidam and Simon Bako Lalong.
Speaking further, Yusuf told Daily Trust that “The likely implication of this is that I fear for the scenario of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to manifest yet again, whereby powerful power blocks within the kitchen cabinet of the former president were influencing policy decisions and directions, which was negatively impacting on the socio-economic wellbeing of Nigeria.
“From all indications, the power blocks were more for their parochial interests than the interest of Nigeria and Nigerians. Indeed, the outcome of the list is also a manifestation of how powerful governors are and fast becoming in the polity of Nigeria.
“The question is, how positively impactful will former governors, who have added less than zero value to the socio-economic development of their respective states, be to impact positively during the administration of Tinubu, who holds the reins of power in the most critical times in the history of Nigeria since the Civil War of the 1964?
“The concerns of people like me are how somebody can give what he does not have. Although some of these governors stand out in terms of performance and how they impacted on the people of their states, but it is also goes without saying that a lot of them did not leave anything much to be desired during their tenures as governors.
“I worry for Nigeria if this is the way we are going to go. Mr. President must take proactive steps to put everybody in the Federal Executive Council on their toes to ensure delivery of good governance, and those that will not deliver should be shown the way out if at all possible.”