Cabinet shake-up: Ministers, aspirants lobby Tukur, others

Hello Friends!
Ahead of an imminent cabinent shake-up by President Goodluck Jonathan, ministers and politicians aspiring to join the Federal Executive Council have started lobbying key figures in the Peoples Democratic Party.

Investigations by our correspondents on Thursday showed that the key PDP members being lobbied included the National Chairman, Dr. Bamanga Tukur; a leader of the South-South, Chief Edwin Clark, and a former Chairman of the party’s board of trustees, Chief Tony Anenih.

The PUNCH had exclusively broke the news of the imminent federal cabinet shake-up in our March 5 edition.

It was learnt that since the information of the impending cabinet reshuffle became known, many ministers had intensified efforts to retain their jobs.

Efforts being made by many of the ministers, according to sources, included contacting party leaders they considered close to the President.

Although Jonathan was said to be keeping the details of his planned cabinet reshuffle close to his chest, investigations revealed that ministers who had been in the FEC since 2007 might be dropped.

Besides the years spent in the cabinet, other factors that would determine the continued stay of any minister in the FEC included performance, sources close to the Presidency said.

The Minister of National Planning, Dr. Shamsudeen Usman, and his Petroleum Resources counterpart, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, have been in the cabinet since 2007, when they were appointed by the late President Umar Yar’Adua.

Ministers who were appointed in 2010 by Jonathan included Mr. Segun Aganga (Trade and Investment), Bala Muhammed (Federal Capital Territory), Ruqayyat Rufai (Education), Emeka Wogu (Labour), and Caleb Olubolade (Police Affairs).

It was also gathered that ministers who were perceived to have distanced themselves from the states and constituencies might be asked to go.

Investigations revealed that politicians, who were aspiring to be appointed as ministers were also lobbying other prominent chieftains of the PDP as well as other prominent politicians.

It was learnt that many of the aspiring ministers had submitted their curriculum vitae to the national chairman and other politicians they hoped could influence the President.

A top member of the NWC, who pleaded anonymity, told one of our correspondents that those who were aspiring to replace ministers that would be dropped had started lobbying.

He said, “Ministers have been contacting the chairman in a bid to retain their jobs. The chairman will definitely make input into the new cabinet.

“Besides the national chairman, they have also reached out to key members. Some people who want to be ministers have sent their CVs to the chairman. Some of the CVs were not sent by the aspirants themselves, but people who considered them competent.”

The NWC member said the party was aware that ministers, who had lost touch with their states, had been going home in an effort to retain their appointments.

Culled from The Punch.

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Simply Cheska...