Ministers’ Portfolios And PMB’s Knack For Unpredictability

Ministers’ Portfolios And PMB’s Knack For Unpredictability

It appears President Muhammadu Buhari may have read Robert Greene bestseller, ‘The 48 Laws Of Power’, a book which details how to manage and control power. One of the laws in this book states: Always Conceal Your Intention. Green explains that mastering the art of concealing your intentions will always give you the upper hand.

It seems President Buhari may have relied heavily on this law in springing surprises for friends and critics alike in most of the appointments he has made since he assumed power. He has always shown a knack for being methodical and always having an ace up his sleeve, and keeping the last joker.

When he assumed office on May 29, Nigerians expected the president to name his cabinet a week or month after. But they were labouring under a delusion, as that did not happen. Buhari bid his time, a situation which prompted criticisms, with some Nigerians calling him ‘Baba go slow’. But tactically, the president replied his critics by reminding that slow and steady wins the race. He said even though he was slow, he was being slow and steady.

True to his explanation, Buhari took his time studying the system by holding briefs with permanent secretaries to ascertain the level of rot in some of the ministries. According to him, this was necessary to guide him in appointing the right people to head some key ministries. He reiterated severally that his assigning of ministerial portfolios will be a case of round pegs in round holes.

Buhari showed Nigerians a glimpse of what to expect from him in manner he made his early appointments. For instance, not a few Nigerians had predicted that Maj Gen Abdulrahman Dambazau (rtd) would be made the National Security Adviser (NSA), given the fact that he is always being seen around the president and was acting unofficially in that capacity. But Buhari surprised everyone by naming Maj Gen Mohammed Babagana Munguno instead as his.

Also Chief Ogbonnaya Onu was tipped for the position of Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), a speculation which was widely reported in some media as if he had been appointed already, and it is just a matter of days for the announcement to be made public. The shocker, however, came when Engr Babachir David Lawal was named the SGF.

In the the build up to the release of the ministerial list, everything was steeped in suspense mystery. This saw Nigerians predicting helplessly about who and who would make the list. There were some list being bandied about in the social media, purporting some names of the ministerial nominees. Like a good thriller novel, in which the author builds and weaves suspense and intriguing plots and subplot; hence, taking the readers through delusive expectations before hitting them with the anticlimax, Nigerians were kept in about who would make his list of ministerial appointees.

The suspense Nigerians were thrown into could be likened to that in a James Hadley Chase thriller. When the list was finally released, many Nigerians claimed they predicted some of the names on the first list, while most of the names the mentioned never appeared. That was actually the surprise package from President Buhari. When the second list was eventually released it was made up of virtually unknown personalities, with most of the nominees not really household names.

After the screening and confirmation of the ministerial nominees, the same pattern followed. A list with portfolios of the ministers was awash in the social media. LEADERSHIP gathered that some of the ministers even started holding meetings with foreign partners believing they would be assigned to some ministries. Some had already started telling family and friends about how they will award contracts if they were to head a particular ministry. Some were said to be openly lobbying for some particular ministries termed ‘juicy’.

Added to the mix was the bombshell by President Buhari that not all ministers would be assigned portfolios. According to Buhari, Nigeria is broke and cannot afford vote for all the ministers. He explained that, while the constitution mandates him to choose ministers from all the states, it does not mandate him to assign portfolios to all of them. The president ‘s remarks generated debate across the country, as Nigerians began to speculate about which of the ministers would be assigned portfolios and which of them would not. The pondered on how the ministers without portfolio would function in the cabinet.

Because they had been held spellbound by the president, Nigerians stayed glued to their television sets last Wednesday, waiting eagerly to hear the portfolios that would be assigned to the new ministers and also to know those ministers without portfolio. The ministers were also tensed; at the event, some of them looked as if were wondering and thinking about what to tell their family and friends in the event where portfolios are not assigned to them. In the course of the inauguration ceremony held at the council chamber of the presidential villa, fear and anxiety were seen clearly written on the faces of the new ministers.

Throughout the inauguration and swearing ceremony, President Buhari wore an expressionless look on his face like a good poker player who never allow any one read the cards in hands through his face. By the time the portfolios were announced, the shock became more obvious on the faces of some of the ministers. While some were pleasantly surprised, some others who were betrayed by emotion could not hide their disappointment. Buhari also had another surprise in stock for Nigerians; he proceeded assign portfolios to all the ministers, with some named substantive ministers and others ministers of state.

Buhari has proven to be the master of the game when it comes to concealing his intentions and his appointments so far have taken Nigerians by surprise. He was accused of favouring the North in his earlier appointments. But that too has been demystified, as detailed analysis of the portfolios assigned to the ministers showed that all the zones got their fair share, with the southern part of the country getting the grade A ministries.

And hear what Buhari had to say after assigning the portfolios. Like Chinua Achebe’s proverbial Agama lizard who fell from a high Iroko tree, nodded his head and praised himself even when no one else did, thenpresident said he did some thoughtful reflections to ensure that the right people were placed in the right places where their utmost performance could be manifest, thereby avoiding the errors of the past where capabilities were sacrificed on the alter of wrong portfolios. Specifically, he said what he did was putting round pegs in round holes.

But as it stands now, most Nigerians say they are waiting to see what the Federal Executive Council (FEC) as constituted by President Buhari would do differently from those of past administrations. The expectations are high, and as the new ministers hit the ground running, Nigerians are already hitting the drums, singing the flute and as spectators of the team that is currently tackling the plethora of economic challenges in the country, some of the people say they have started holding their breadth.