Mohammed S. Shehu
23 May 2011
Outgoing governors angling to become ministers in the next cabinet of President Goodluck Jonathan might have lost out, it emerged yesterday.
Jonathan may have dropped majority of the state governors ministerial nominees due to what the source said is his resolve not to limit the ministerial appointments to politicians. It was learnt from sources in the presidency that the President may have decided to personally select people he believes have the capacity to properly implement his policy and programme and would not want to take chances by appointing governors’ stooges .
The source, who doesn’t want to be named because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, said that the President’s Monday meeting with the business community in Lagos was part of the nationwide consultations with experts in various fields of endeavour as well as traditional and religious leaders before concluding work on his list. It is also not clear how many of the present ministers would make the president’s next cabinet but sources said very few are likely to work their way back.
The cabinet is expected to be dissolved during the Federal Executive Council Meeting this Wednesday but the sources said some of the ministers who are heading sub-committees on the handover ceremony are going to continue working with the President up until the formation of the next government slated immediately after the swearing-in ceremony on May 29. The President had on Friday hinted the incoming ministers, billed to be inaugurated immediately after inauguration would at once proceed to Obudu Cattle Ranch Resort in Cross River State on induction.
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