Will Omisore Make Tinubu’s Cabinet List?

Shadrach Ogbonna

The few appointments done so far by the President and Commander in Chief, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has so far been commended by Nigerians, and a cross section of the populace are optimistic that the Ministerial list will include names of individuals who are professionals in their different fields and also.played crucial roles in the political victory of President Tinubu.

Pundits are also of the opinion that the current National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress and a former Deputy Governor, Senator Iyiola Omisore, is positioned to be the Minister designate to represent Osun State.

Based on the federal character factor, each state of the federation is to produce a Minister each, apart from other appointments, which are at the prerogative of the President, whom has enjoyed a robust relationship with President Tinubu as the Scribe of the party.

Senator Omisore, who on Friday was inducted as a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineer (NSE) is touted to either become the  minister of telecommunications, minister of mining and solid minerals or minister of power.

He holds a Ph.D in Infrastructure Finance from the International School of Management, Paris, France.

He started his early professional life with the firm of Drake and Gordham in the United Kingdom in the early 1980s.  He received on-the-job training and rose to top management positions. The same firm, Drake and Scull (Nig. ) Limited took him back home to Nigeria, where he worked on major engineering projects.

It was while working at Drake and Scull that his project management skills were honed. He later established his own engineering firms, Mechelec Consultants, an engineering consultancy outfit and Chrisore Eng Limited, an electrical engineering firm, successful ventures that have flourished over the years.

With this leverk of exposure and expertise, the current ministerial vacancies presents a unique opportunity to Mr President to appoint a man competent and qualified. As a man of the sciences, he is known for being a man of first principles able to employ and deploy proven systems and structures that will birth positive changes within several sectors of the economy. 

Whatever ministry he is drafted to can be assured of inclusivity between all cadres of staff as well as positive, targeted engagements between the public and private role players within the sector. There will be increased access between the top and bottom of the chain, with key role players given the platform to bring their ideas and expertise to the table for the collective good. 

Furthermore, Senator Omisore at different points in his political journey has been a strong advocate for manufacturing plants in the country and using the country’s vast resources to produce within the country to create jobs and grow the nation’ gross domestic product (GDP). 

Senator Omisore has the required expertise to develop and sustain effectively multiple untapped sectors of the economy if given the nod by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. 

Tinubu, who in his first few weeks in office has already begun earnest restructuring of the country understands the needs for round pegs in round holes, and an astute politician who he knows so well, Omisore will certainly be one.

Away from oil and other ministries that are often sought after, this administration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu may shift her focus away from overly depending on petroleum and crude oil and invest time and expertise in other viable sectors within the economy. 

Others are agriculture, transportation and perhaps tourism. These would be a significant diversification and may eventually become the goose that would lay the golden eggs that will form a major source of revenues for the incoming administration.

However, as promising as these sectors are, only competent and technically equipped individuals who have passion for developing these sectors would fit the bill and deliver timely returns which the country so desperately needs. In other words, individuals that would be appointed by the Presidency to oversee these low hanging fruits sectors must be those who have been tested , with both local and international exposure to leverage on the potentials and tap into them.

While there are many Nigerians who may as well be qualified to turn things around, this writer feels a need to dig into the career path of a former Deputy governor of Osun State and the current National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress APC, Senator Iyiola Omisore as one deserving of the position of a Minister.

*Ogbonna a public affairs analyst wrote from Lagos