Buhari’s Ministers: Saints, Sinners And Noise-makers
THE unnecessary drama and suspense is all over.
I can now settle down and lick my wounds. I had
believed that as a saint, my name would be there
‘when the roll is called up yonder’. But my name
was conspicuously missing in action; I was not
even mentioned in the several fake lists! I have
cancelled all my anticipatory appointments (like
SSA on stomach infrastructure) and discontinued
with the ministerial carriage I had acquired. I
have put the whole episode behind me while
waiting for the next political season. I am now in
a mood to examine the long wait, the list, and the
entire confirmation process.
When someone dies in Igboukwu and the
funeral is immediate, we ‘manage’
whatever ‘level’ at which the funeral is
pitched. However, if the funeral is
postponed, our expectations would rise
and we would anticipate a higher ‘level’
affair. From that perspective, PMB’s
(President Muhammadu Buhari)
ministerial outing was disappointing; the
list could have been unveiled on May 29,
2015! In addition to the petroleum
ministry, he should also have taken over
civil service, works, health and
education, which are now all on life
support. But the key question is: are
these the saints who are to come or shall
we wait for another (Mt 11:3)? If these
are all saints, then who are the sinners?
The various justifications for the delayed
constitution of his cabinet are neither
here nor there. Obama was a teenager
when earlier PMB ruled Nigeria and it
should be unfortunate if he really
decided to learn from Obama. In any
case, the claim has been punctured.
Secondly, for somebody who sought this
presidency for 16 straight years, a
handover note should not have adversely
affected this process. Furthermore, this
delay did not yield any better outcome; it
signals unpreparedness, lack of political
sagacity (remember Okadigbo?) and poor
horse-trading skills. Also, the
consultations were not fruitful because
APC stakeholders protested loudly over
the list. The delay may also be a part of
his infamous body language, but I am
amazed that whenever he is abroad, he
speaks too much of the normal language.
As a Catholic, I believe that saints are
people who lived extraordinarily
righteous lives on earth. But all have
sinned (Rom 3:2) and whoever denies
his sinfulness is a liar (I John 1:8). In
effect, we are all sinners: those
searching, those screening, those
screened and those who walked out!
After all, there is not much difference
between senators and sinators! So, it was
a shadow-chasing Ultimate Search for
saints!
Anyway, let me not judge, so as not to be
judged. But how can we be talking about
saints when one of the most decent
among them was accused of ‘stealing
more than the one they call a thief’ or
when another paid a tax of N50000 on
N60m income evidenced by questionable
tax clearance certificates? Well, let’s
leave the matter of sainthood to the
anointer and the anointed. But if PMB
had not announced that he was looking
for saints, I would not have had
problems with the list. This is another
incident of communication of what one
cannot or will not be able to deliver,
thereby raising public expectations
unnecessarily.
The declaration that they are
noisemakers shows his disdain for the
ministers. But this appellation is less
contentious because some of them are
actually noise-makers. Lai Mohammed is
a full-time noise-maker while Amaechi is
an indirect noise-maker who generates
noise anywhere he goes, as evidenced by
the noise emanating from his
confirmation, his tenure at the NGF, or
his war with the NJC or Rivers
legislature. Will ministers add value? It
depends on whether PMB wants them to
add value. By the way, why should he
appoint ministers if civil servants could
do the job, and with less noise?
The ministerial fiasco has created
avoidable reputational damage/brand
erosion for PMB. I perceive PMB as
disciplined and austere, but he is not a
saint. He promised change and a clean
break from the iniquitous past. His
presidency is built on change and anti-
corruption. We have been told
repeatedly that PDP ruined Nigeria. Why
then is PMB hobnobbing with the
shining lights of PDP, including one of its
former chairmen?
We now come to the issue of people
over-laden with baggage. The most
prominent of these is Amaechi who had
‘never taken a bribe’ but whom the
vengeful Wike had accused of
monumental corruption. Why wouldn’t
PMB allow him to be judicially sanctified
before anointing him, especially when
Amaechi had taken the matter to court?
During Abacha’s era, one of his friends
was alleged to be corrupt. Major Al-
Mustapha advised that ‘the Villa should
severe all contacts with the Chief
pending when he is cleared. We should
not be seen dealing with a character of
this nature’ (Kukah: Witness to justice;
p164). If a military despot distanced
himself from a friend over allegations of
corruption, why is it difficult for a born
again PMB?
Looking at the entire process, nothing
has changed: same people, washy
screening, horse-trading, and influence
of godfathers (though to a less extent) as
before. The recycling is not justifiable
unless we agree with Tunde Bakare that
he might have made do with what is
available. Probably, we have now hired
butchers because we couldn’t find
surgeons!
Indeed, there were no surprises both
with the list and the screening process in
the ‘hollowed chamber’. It is another
come-and- chop affair and settlement of
IOUs to political investors. The defense
by APCians that PDP acted similarly is
asinine because they have come to
change, not to sustain. And when one
recalls the emergence of baggage-ridden
candidates in Bayelsa and Kogi States,
this becomes more worrisome.
So, what happened? I tend to agree with
Sonala Olumhense that PMB is
mellowing down, and with Femi
Aribisala that PMB got his fingers burnt
in his bid to dine with political ‘devils’
whom he had hitherto despised. PMB
came on board on the basis of a given
reputation. It will be unfortunate if this
is destroyed at this stage and age. It is
over for now, but both the president and
the party will bear the consequential
moral burden. Saraki, who is fighting for
his life and his colleagues are guilty of
sacrificing national interest on the altar
of political expediency; they did not do
the proper thing.
But there is one good news: our
association, Academics Against Moral
Impunity and Immunity (AAMII), has
adopted the most outstanding of them,
Saint Amaechi, to be its patron Saint.
Meanwhile, let the saints go to work;
there is much to be done and they are
already six months behind. Nigerians
are very forgiving and have short
attention span. The whole noise will soon
ebb, especially, if the ministers perform
or pretend to perform. Furthermore, a
comprehensive re-orientation
programme should be arranged for Lai
Mohammed before he talks us into
trouble!
It is well with Nigeria.
Muo is of the Department of Business
Administration, OOU, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun
State
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