Cabinet Reshuffle: Return Police Affairs to Interior Ministry, Group Tells Tinubu

. Another group makes case for El-Rufai, Shehu Sanni, others as ministers

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt and  Michael Olugbode in Abuja

Following the plan by President Bola Tinubu to reshuffle his 47-man cabinet, a group under the aegis of Niger Delta Rights Advocates (NDRA), has said  the Ministry of Police Affairs be integrated into the Interior Ministry.

 In a statement signed and made available to journalists in Port Harcourt, yesterday, the Head of Research, NDRA, Mr. Chuks Alozie, said the Ministry led by  Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has delivered on the critical elements of good governance and public accountability.

The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga while addressing journalists in Abuja, explained that the reshuffle of the cabinet may be carried out anytime from, adding that the exercise would be evidence-based.

Onanuga, who noted they the current cabinet was inaugurated in August, 2023, disclosed that the president has instructed his ministers to actively promote the accomplishments of his administration.

 Meanwhile, in the statement the NDRA, said the Minister of Interior activities has increased citizens’ trust in the present federal government administration.

 It  said: “The NDRA welcomes yesterday’s confirmation by Presidential Spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga of an imminent cabinet shake-up.

 “NDRA had earlier in the year advocated the recalibration of the cabinet as presently constituted and this position corroborates that of the larger spectrum of stakeholders.

 We demand that the Policy Coordination and the Central Delivery Coordination Unit (CDCU) under the Presidency be totally insulated from political nuances as this is the only way a proper Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) of the the performance of Ministers who are the salesmen of the administration’s policies/agenda, can get fair and trustworthy assessment”.

Alozie stressed that in making the component factors for the assessment of public officers such as cabinet ministers, it should be open to public debate and scrutiny, adding that it will enhance transparency in the process of evaluation going forward.

“The NDRA wishes to propose that as part of strategy to implement the much talked about Steve Orasanye report on the harmonization of MDAs and to help government cut cost.

“The Ministry of Police Affairs be integrated into the Interior Ministry under Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo as the Ministry under Dr Tunji-Ojo has delivered on the critical elements of good governance and public accountability which has increased citizens’ trust in the present administration.

“The NDRA believes that performance should be measured in terms of the level of achievement of the objectives of each Ministry or the level of costs incurred to achieve these objectives (efficiency). And we believe that the Interior Ministry under the current administration has hit that mark and signposts efficiency for a public agency.”

 The group further challenged the Policy Coordination and the Central Delivery Coordination Unit (CDCU) “to publish its benchmarks (tools/indicators) for further public scrutiny and contestation of logic in order to ensure that those public officials who fall terribly below par, do not get the chance to hold public offices in future (whether elective or appointment)”.

According to them,  it will help the ruling parties to cascade the idea of properly scrutinising persons they nominate into public offices going forward.

Meanwhile, another  group, Mandate Protection Vanguard (MPV), has said that there is urgent need for  Tinubu to consider experienced and highly skillful personnel as ministers in the coming cabinet. 

The group, in a statement signed by its co-coordinator, Comrade Gbenga Soloki  yesterday, said that there is no doubt that, several egg heads abound across the six geo-political zones that can add value and acceptability to the government. 

Soloki in the statement, said: “While no one is begrudging Mr. President for appointing politicians and close allies as ministers and ministers of state, there are several other qualified Nigerians who have excelled in both private and public services, while some have served at the state level, others have been privileged to operate at the federal level

“The present economic challenges in the country deserve the services of credible and economically savvy ministers, who can deliver on their core areas of competence in order to make the programmes and projects of the administration popular and to achieve far reaching end result that will ultimately rescue the country out of the present quagmire. 

“Firstly on the list of would- be candidates for the new appointment is one time minister of power in Nigeria, Prof Bart Nnaji. No doubt, Bart Nnaji is a seasoned administrator, who is also experienced in power generation sector. 

“He is a professor of Electrical Engineering, who was minister of power, special adviser on power to the president and was the Chairman of Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).

“Another candidate is Ojo Samuel Olukunle, a seasoned technocrat, public servant, well experienced in public policy formulation & implementation. He is Harvard -certified public administrator, well experienced in general administration, public finance & budgeting.

“He was a permanent secretary for years in Lagos State Governor’s Office from where He was subsequently appointed a Chief of Staff to the  state governor human capital development and this was one of his key legacies he left behind in that office. He is a competent administrator and expert in finance,” the statement read.

The group also suggested Senator Adeleke Mamora, a medical doctor, a former speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, a senator and former minister in the Buhari regime. 

According to the statement, Dr. Mamora is a cool headed professional medical doctor with vast experience and considerable attachment to his callings. 

Also suggested was Mallam El Rufai, who the group described as a cerebral politician from the northern part of the country, saying that though trained as a quantity surveyor, he obtained a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard University.

“He was Director General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises, minister of Federal Capital Territory and the immediate past Governor of Kaduna state.”

The statement said: “Another person is Senator Shehu Sanni, who is one of the few characters from the northern part of the country that joined forces with pro-democracy Activists to fight for the restoration of democratic rule in the country. 

“He, alongside the incumbent Governor of Kaduna State, was part of the people who chased away the military from the corridors of power in the country. His stint in the senate witnessed several developmental interventions, bills and motions. He understands the problems plaguing this nation and he can also proffer the needed solutions where necessary.”