Nigeria: Intense Lobby for Ministerial Posts Begins

Following Wednesday's sack of nine ministers by President Goodluck Jonathan, an intense lobby has begun in the Presidential Villa, Abuja by both serving ministers, who want to clinch better portfolios, members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and cronies of the presidency.

The sack of the nine ministers brings to 12 the total number of seats that are currently vacant.

Former Minister of Youths Affairs, Mr. Inuwa Abdulkadir, was dropped from the cabinet on August 27, while former Minister of State for Health, Prof. Ali Muhammad Pate, voluntarily resigned to take up a professorial job in the United States.

Equally, the position of Minister of Defence has remained vacant since the middle of last year,

when its former occupant, Muhammad Bello Haliru, was ousted along with the erstwhile National Security Adviser (NSA), the late Gen. Andrew Owoye Azazi.

Although Bello's state, Kebbi got a replacement in the cabinet in the person of the incumbent Minister of Special Duties, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, the defence portfolio had only one minister up to the time Mrs Olusola Obada, was removed alongside eight others on Wednesday.

A source in the presidency told THISDAY that from the moment the sack of the ministers became public knowledge yesterday, "many party members and other Nigerians have been inundating us with calls seeking to be part of those who will replace those who lost their jobs."

"I can also tell you that even some of the serving ministers are also lobbying to get better positions, particularly in the Ministries of Defence, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Education, Foreign Affairs and Environment," the source added.

He listed politicians and others lobbying for the ministerial positions as some serving governors, businessmen, retired military officers, former top legislators, technocrats, serving and disengaged aides to high political office holders.

So far, nine states do not have representation in the Federal Executive Council (FEC), following the recent caninet shake up.

These vacant slots are those of Jigawa, Kano, Kaduna and Akwa Ibom. Others are Osun, Borno, Niger, Sokoto and Bauchi States.

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