Ministers That May Return

By CHIBUZO UKAIBE , JONATHAN NDA-ISAIAH

Although President Muhammadu Buhari is holding the list of his soon-to-be constituted ministerial council close to his chest, there are indications that some members of his immediate past council might make it back to his new cabinet.

LEADERSHIP Sunday recalls that President Muhammadu Buhari had on Monday indicated that he could retain some ministers as his first term wound down.
The president said in the interview that preceded his inauguration that he had asked ministers to submit their records of achievement, noting that he was considering whether some “would stay” during his next tenure.

Cabinet members who started with Buhari in the last dispensation were: Abubakar Malami, Justice; Geoffrey Onyeama, foreign affairs; Mansur Dan Ali, defence; Femi Adeosun, finance; Adamu Adamu, education; Anthony Anwuka, state, education; Okechukwu Enelamah, Industry, Trade and Investment; Aisha Abubakar; minister of state, Industry, Trade and Investment; Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige; minister of state, Labour and Employment: James Ocholi; minister of Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udo Udoma; minister of state, Budget and National Planning: Zainab Ahmed; minister of Power, Works and Housing: Babatubde Fashola; minister of state, Power, Works and Housing: Mustapha Shehuri; minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Audu Ogbeh; minister of state, Agriculture and Rural Development, Heineken Lokpobiri; minister of state, Aviation, Hadi Sirika; minister of Health, Isaac Adeoye; minister of state, health, Osagie Ehanire; minister of Niger Delta Affairs: Usani Uguru; minister of state for Niger Delta Affairs, Claudius Daramola; minister of Environment, Amina Mohammed; minister of state for Environment, Ibrahim Jibrin; minister of Solid Minerals, Kayode Fayemi; minister of state, Solid Minerals, Abubakar Bwari.

Others are minister of Communication, Adebayo Shittu; minister of Information, Lai Mohammed; minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu; minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung; minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu; minister of Women Affairs, Aisha Alhassan; Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi; Interior Minister, Abdulrahman Dambazzau; Minister of state for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachiukwu, and FCT Minister, Mohammed Bello.

However, minister of state for Labour Ocholi who died in office was replaced by Professor Stephen Ikani Ocheni.
Minister of Environment, Amina Mohammed, left the team following her appointment as deputy secretary-general of the United Nations, while Adeosun was replaced with Zainab Ahmed, after she resigned as minister of finance over a scandal surrounding her National Youth Service Corps certificate.
Fayemi left the cabinet after he emerged governor of Ekiti State, while minister of Women Affairs, Aisha Alhassan, resigned to pursue her governorship ambition in Taraba State.

President Buhari, who is expected to unveil his cabinet soon, did not sack any of his ministers or changed their portfolios in his first term.
However, checks by LEADERSHIP Sunday revealed that some of the immediate past ministers may return for different reasons.
It was learnt that factors that may necessitate the return of some ministers include exceptional performance in the previous term, strategic political interest and the need to ensure continuity in critical sectors of the administrations governance plan.

While some of the ministers may return for a combination of those reasons, however, it remains hazy whether or not most of the potential returnees would retain their previous positions, a source told our paper.
Moreover, indications are rife that the president might not be necessarily disposed to get the buy-in of state governors in the composition of his new cabinet, but it was learnt that chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who lost out in the last general elections are lobbying to get ministerial appointments to compensate for their political misfortunes.
Some of such party men include former governors who served for only one term, senators and other party members who were victims of intra-party squabbles. Some of the former ministers who may return in the new dispensation are:

Chibuike Amaechi
The former minister of Transportation is likely to return as minister. Amaechi served as the director general of the Buhari presidential campaign, a role he had previously played in 2015. It is worthy to note that he delivered on both mandates as the President won his re-election in February. However, the APC was engulfed in internal crisis which ultimately barred it from participating in the gubernatorial, National and State Assembly elections, after the court ruled that it did not conduct valid primaries.

However, the former minister performed creditably well in the transportation ministry. The minister completed some ongoing railway projects like the Kaduna-Abuja road, the Abuja rail and Warri-Itakpe rail. The Lagos-Ibadan railway will be completed early next year. For continuity, which has been one of the hallmarks of the President Buhari administration, Amaechi is likely to return as minister.

Hadi Sirika
The possibility of the minister of state, Aviation, Hadi Sirika returning as minister is bright. LEADERSHIP Sunday gathered that the aviation ministry will be separated from the transportation ministry. Aviation will be a stand alone ministry with Sirika as the minister. He also performed well in his first term as there was no single case of air crash in the last four years.
Although, the federal government and Sirika received knocks for the failed National Carrier project, he said recently that government had approved N47.43bn for the Nigeria Air project in the 2019 budget.

Recall that in November last year, Sirika told stakeholders at an aviation forum that a viability gap funding of $155m (N47.43bn at the official exchange rate of N306/$) was required for the Nigeria Air project.

Suleiman Adamu
Water Resources minister, Suleiman Adamu, is one of the visible members of the last cabinet. The former minister is said to be related by marriage to the President. He also performed fairly well in the first term as the comatose water projects were revived like the completion of Mangu Water Supply project in Plateau State which was started in 2012 but had no budgetary allocation between 2014 and 2016. He brought life into the ministry and may be retained to continue his good works in the ministry.

Udo Udoma
The minister of budget and National Planning, Udoma Udo Udoma, is likely to retain his seat, thanks to his spearheading the Buhari administration’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP), although there are reports that the former governor of Akwa Ibom, Godswill Akpabio is pushing to be made a minister.
The ministry of budget, which Udoma heads, is the coordinating body of the ERGP. For continuity, Udoma may be retained as budget and national planning minister.

Babatunde Fashola
There is no doubt that the Power, Works and Housing minister, Babatunde Fashola is one of Buhari’s favourites. In spite of the opposition from certain quarters, the president made him a minister. To drive the change agenda, he was given three critical ministries partly due to his outstanding performance as Lagos State governor.
LEADERSHIP SUNDAY gathered that the Power, Works and Housing ministry will be unbundled and Fashola will be retained as minister but will only oversee one of the ministries.

Lai Mohammed
There is no doubt that as the mouth piece of the federal government, Lai Mohammed has done a wonderful job. He defends the policies of the government whether popular or unpopular with aplomb.
Its almost a given that the minister will retain his portfolio in the next administration, although according to sources, the state chapter of the party is pushing for the nomination of Senator Gbemi Saraki as their candidate for minister. However, with his closeness to APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and also the president, Lai Mohammed looks a sure bet to retain the information ministry.

Abdulrahman Dambazzau
Another minister that is likely to return to the anticipated cabinet is the minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazzau. While the need to scale up the security architecture has remained a primary concern, it was however learnt that the administration is mindful of not causing a total shakeup such that it would alter the gains already made. The immediate past minister is said to be one of such key members in the security community that would be needed to consolidate the gains made in the last four years.

Adamu Adamu
Another former minister that is likely return is Adamu who was in charge of the education portfolio. It was gathered that the minister might be recalled to serve in the soon-to-be-formed government considering the numerical strength of universities in the country which leapt by over 15% under his watch as minister. Also, since 2016, the Nigerian university system gained 12 percentage points. He is also said to be commended for the oversight he provided the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), which recorded lots of success stories in the last four years.

Audu Ogbe
The former minister of Agriculture is said to be within the radar of those that may be recalled to serve in the new cabinet. His wealth of experience in the sector is said to have made him almost indispensable at this time. It was also gathered that his expertise was one of the factors that helped to ensure the security situation in the country, particularly in the North, does not result in food crisis.

Abubakar Malami
The ex-minister of Justice was one of the crucial foot soldier of the president in the anti-corruption war. It was learnt that his strategic role in the fight against graft in the country might see him return to the cabinet to ensure continuity in a sector that is crucial to the next four years of the Buhari administration.

Aisha Abubakar
Aisha Abubakar was appointed minister of state for Industry, Trade and Investment. Her right standing with the president was confirmed when she was also appointed minister for Women Affairs and Social Development. The presidency confirmed this when it said her subsequent appointment was made because of her credibility. It was gathered that she is also in the radar of those who might be recalled in the next cabinet.

Suleiman Hassan
He was appointed minister of Environment following the resignation of the minister of State for Environment, Ibrahim Usman Jibril, who ascended the throne as Emir of Nasarawa in Nasarawa State. The ex-minister before then was the minister of State for Power, Works and Housing.

Power Blocs That Might Determine Who Gets What
Meanwhile, investigations by LEADERSHIP Sunday have revealed that party members have since started reaching out to persons they believe are influential in government to help them secure juicy appointments.
It was learnt that homes of party chieftains, traditional rulers have become a Mecca of sorts as intense lobbying for ministerial appointments and boards of agencies have hit top gear.

Party leadership
The APC party leaders are seen as those who hold the aces in appointments into boards. The party had insisted that it will be in charge of many of the appointments into boards. The logic is party faithful across the states need to be rewarded for their loyalty.

Traditional rulers
Traditional rulers are known to hold some measure of influence on politicians. It is believed that the president will listen to some particular traditional rulers.
PMB’s friends and kitchen cabinet
A critical set of those being lobbied for positions in this administration are members of the president’s kitchen cabinet and known friends.

Governors
Governors are the strongest political bloc in the country. Politicians seeking positions must have started lobbying governors especially APC governors for federal appointments. Unlike in 2015, the governors will have a huge say on who gets what at the federal level.