Jonathan’s proposed cabinet revealed •Okonjo-Iweala, Ajumogobia, Kayode missing on list •Jonathan to name more women SAs, SSAs

THE names of former Minister of Finance and Managing Director of the World Bank, Dr (Mrs) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and a former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Odein Ajumogobia, were conspicuously missing

on the tentative ministerial list in circulation on Sunday.

Some sources had earlier confirmed that security agencies had so far received 42 names of ministerial nominees out of which 30 had been screened.

While there is no quick explanation for the disappearance of Ajumogobia’s name, it was learnt that the security agencies were awaiting the name of Okonjo-Iweala, who had last Wednesday, agreed to work with President Goodluck Jonathan.

She was Minister of Finance in the administration of former, president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, until she was redeployed in the last days of the administration.

Though the name of former Minister of Defence, Chief Adetokunbo Kayode (SAN), was not on the list on Sunday, it was gathered that his name could be sent alongside that of Okonjo-Iweala this week.

It was said that Kayode could not attend security screening before now, having just returned from a trip abroad and that it was late to include Okonjo-Iweala’s and Kayode’s names on the list of 12 sent to the security agencies on Friday.

A source said that Kayode’s case is being helped by the planned expansion of the ministries by the Jonathan administration and the president’s desire to ensure that the South-West is compensated after it lost out of power configuration as a result of the loss of the Speaker position in the House of Representatives.

Some of the returning ministers include former Petroleum Minister, Diezani Allison-Madueke; her counterpart in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Bala Mohammed; Navy Captain Caleb Olubolade (Minister of State FCT); Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu (Health); Olusegun Aganga (Finance); Yusuf Suleiman (Transport); Shamsudeen Usman (National Planning); Mohammed Adoke (SAN) (Attorney General); Emeka Wogu, (Labour); Labaran Maku (Information and Communications) and Professor Ruquayyat Rufai (Education).

Meanwhile, the search for the actualisation of 35 per cent affirmative action for women has suffered a setback in the composition of the federal cabinet, it was learnt on Sunday.

President Jonathan had made it a campaign issue before the April general election, when he repeatedly assured the women that they would enjoy 35 per cent of government appointments if he won the election.

But it was learnt on Sunday that the president was worried he could not deliver to women as far as the composition of the new cabinet was concerned.

He was said to have resolved to make it up to the womenfolk through other appointments.

A source said the president was worried that the nature of nominations from the states did not reflect the search for 35 per cent for women.

“Following the highly pro-men nature of lobbying and the failure of governors and party leaders from the states to submit the names of women for ministerial appointments, the president has resolved to appoint a number of women as special advisers, senior special assistants, special assistants and other appointments he directly has control over.

“He has also resolved to ensure that more women emerge chairmen of parastatal agencies and departments. Ninety-nine per cent of the list submitted by the party apparatus did not include names of women,” a source said.

The president was said to have noticed anger in the camp of women, following the receipt of the list of possible appointees sent from the states.

It was learnt that some women groups made their unhappiness known to the president and that they indicated that women and the youth formed the bulk of those who championed his campaign and voted massively for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

“A team of strategists has gone to work in search of competent women who can hold strategic positions in government.

“The president is worried that despite his appeal to the party leaders, many of them have refused to nominate women for possible appointments.

“The president does not know everybody in the country. It is the party machinery, spread all over the federation, that can best locate these people and the president had mandated leaders of his party to fish out credible hands but, so far, only seven women may make the final ministerial list,” a source said.

It was gathered that some of the women on the list so far forwarded to the security agencies included former petroleum minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke; former minister of education, Professor Ruquayyat Rufai; former minister of women affairs, Mrs Josephine Anenih; and an athlete, Mary Onyali-Omagbemi.

The name of Dr Okonjo-Iweala, was also expected to be sent for security clearance this week.

It was gathered that all was now set for the Senate confirmation of ministerial nominees, as senators were to resume plenary session tomorrow.

It was also gathered that lobbyists had resumed their bombardment of the official residence of the Senate president, Mr David Mark, who only returned to Abuja from Benue, on Sunday.

LIST OF NOMINEES

SOUTH-WEST
1. Olusegun Aganga – Lagos
2. Ms Olajumoke Akinjide – Oyo
3. Akinwunmi Ayo Adesina – Ogun
4. Erelu Olushola Obada – Osun
5. Mrs Omobola Johnson Olubusola – Ondo
6. Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru – Ogun
7. Navy Capt. Caleb Olubolade – Ekiti

NORTH-WEST
1. Ambassador Bash Yuguda – Zamfara
2.Alhaji Yusuf Suleiman – Sokoto
3. Ruqaayat Rufai – Jigawa
4. Hajia Abiba Isah Dutse – Jigawa
5. Alhaji Yusuff Abubakar – Kaduna
6. Dr. Shamsudeen Usman – Kano
7. Arc. Mohammed Musa Saada – Katsina
8. Bello Haliru Mohammed – Kebbi

SOUTH-SOUTH
1. Mrs Diezani Allison-Madueke – Bayelsa
2. Arc. Tonye Cole – Rivers
3. Mrs Martina Odom – Cross River
4. Elder Godsday Orubebe – Delta
5. Arc. Mike Onolememen- Edo State
6. Professor Ita Okon Bassey-Ewa -Akwa Ibom

SOUTH-EAST
1. Biola Viola Onwuliri-Imo
2. Barth Nnaji-Enugu
3. Mrs Stella Odua-Ogiemwonyi
4. Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu-Ebonyi
5. Barrister Emeka Wogu-Abia

NORTH-CENTRAL
1. Mohammed B. Adoke SAN-Kogi
2. Alhaji Bolaji Abdullahi – Kwara
3. Labaran Maku -Nasarawa-
4. Hajia Zainab Ibrahim Kuchi -Niger
5. Dr Samuel Loraer Ortom -Benue State
6. Dr Jonah Madugu -Plateau
7. Comrade Abba Moro -Benue

NORTH-EAST
1. Bukar Tijjani- Borno
2. Obadiah Ando-Taraba
3. Senator Idris Umar -Gombe
4. Dr Yerima Lawan Ngama- Yobe
5. Hajia Zainab Maina -Adamawa
6.Senator Bala Mohammed -Bauchi-
7. Dr Mohammed Pateh -Bauchi.