‘‘I see a drastic rearrangement of the public sector to meet the needs and aspirations of the toiling masses. I see the thorough rebuilding of the economy along the best interest of the nation, which will put millions of ordinary people back to work’’- Quoted in Nowinta’s book, 2009: WHERE WE ARE (page 174)
Pebbles with Igbotako Nowinta
Finally the cat has been allowed to jump out of the bag! – President Muhammadu Buhari’s ministerial team became a stunning reality last week with their official swearing-in ceremony that took place within Aso Rock Presidential Palace.
The much anticipated portfolios for the Ministers were also made public not after President Buhari has sliced away ministries like Special Duties, Police Affairs, etc. and compressed a few others in order to avoid wastages arising from unnecessary duplication within the system.
I want to quickly commend Mr. President for the earthquake being unleashed within the civil service in Nigeria.
The sacking and replacement of some permanent secretaries is long overdue. But innocent civil servants should not be victimized as the ministries are being shaken vigorously.
The message of change being sung by the Buhari administration must be applauded by well-meaning Nigerians.
The mind-boggling revelations coming out of the official files and financial accounts that were operated by some of the sacked permanent secretaries show that the system was almost milked to death under former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Why couldn’t Jonathan touch the Steven Oronsaye Report which President Buhari has started implementing without calling for a national debate?
Whatever the shortcomings we have noted with the appointment of some individuals as Ministers in the Buhari administration so far, the regime appears to be heading somewhere no previous governments have dared to face before since independence.
Now Ibrahim Lamorde of the Economic & Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has been given the boot, just as yours sincerely canvassed a few weeks ago because of avalanche of petitions that generated against him.
The exit of Lamorde without question will add fresh impetus to the fight against corruption in our land.
That is to say that the new sheriff at the helms of affairs at EFCC headquarters must not fall below the expectations of Nigerians. The EFCC must for once separate politics from its operations!
Now that Audu Ogbe, Rotimi Amaechi, Chris Ngige, Ogbonaya Onu, Mama Taraba, Osagie Ehanire, Kayode Fayemi, Babatunde Fashola, etc. have made it as Ministers, we will not take anything short of optimal performance from them.
Most especially Babatunde Fashola (former Governor of Lagos State), who Mr. President has given so much responsibilities as Minister of Power, Works and Housing, must replicate the wonders he engineered in Lagos.
Talking about Lagos State, I really began to respect Fashola’s administrative wizardry and ingenuity when he ignored sentiments to turn around the famous dirty and rowdy Oshodi market into a clean and beautiful place.
Credit must go to Fashola’s civilian administration that started to improve upon what Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu did in eight years, as Lagos State is now a towering example to many civilian administrations in Nigeria today.
Therefore, the choice of Babatunde Fashola by President Buhari as a super Minister is a pointer to the fact the All Progressives Congress (APC) Federal Government is passionate about turning around the fortunes of Nigeria in the area of Power, Works and Housing.
It is not for nothing that the National Leader of APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has described Babatunde Fashola as making him a: ‘Proud grandfather.’
Making Asiwaju Tinubu ‘a proud grandfather’ is another way of saying that the successes recorded in Lagos State by Asiwaju Tinubu, Babatunde Fashola and the current efforts of Akinwunmi Ambode is being wholeheartedly appreciated by President Buhari.
Who says there are no positive godfathers in politics? The kind of godfatherism I want to identify with is one that is benevolent, people- oriented, democracy dividends-centered and altruistic.
We simply cannot take it away from Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu that he is truly a proud grandfather for his courageous efforts to replicate himself in personalities like Babatunde Fashola, Akinwunmi Ambode and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola in Osun State, etc.
Genuine credits must go to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu for setting an enviable record in the South West of Nigeria by not allowing himself and his political machine to be swallowed up for sixteen uninterrupted years.
Asiwaju no doubt has positioned himself as the greatest political survivalist and conqueror in the murky politics of Nigeria since 1999.
In the geographic entity of Nigeria today, do we have a political colossus in the mold of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu despite his human weakness?
Politics is about political accountability, the people and development. Honestly, Asiwaju Tinubu is a fantastic example in this regard.
Despite his historic role in routing for President Muhammadu Buhari at the critical moments during the APC Presidential Primaries that resulted in the sound of thunder of March 28th Presidential Election, the choice of Fashola as a super Minister is well deserved.
Nowinta wrote: Where We Are – A Call for Democratic Revolution in Nigeria.
