The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said that President Muhammadu Buhari’s ministerial list was colourless, stagnant, uninspiring and did not convey any sense of hope or purposeful governance.
Ologbondiyan said to the utter disappointment of Nigerians, the list was replete with alleged incompetent individuals who failed in their erstwhile ministerial assignments and allegedly left their ministries in a shambles.
According to him, such a ministerial list can only come from a leadership that does not have the mandate of the people.
Ologbondiyan said, “The list has further shown Buhari and the APC’s insensitivity and disdain for Nigerians and it does not in any way reflect their hope and eagerness for a better Nigeria.
“Furthermore, in recycling failed yesterday’s men for today’s assignment, Buhari and the APC have left no one in doubt that they have no vision to move our nation out of the economic and security predicaments into which they have plunged us in the last four years.”
Also, the President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, said Buhari’s list lacked innovation. He noted that the President did not attach portfolios to the names of the nominees.
Ogunyemi stated, “The other observation is that there isn’t much innovation on the list. People are talking of a generation change and injecting fresh blood or a mixture of the old and the new. But the new names on the list are people who have been in the political circle for some time. I am sure the younger generation would have been looking out for a list that would have accommodated their interest and representation.”
Also, the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association, NECA said the ministerial nominees list contained mostly names of recycled politicians.
The Director-General, NECA, Timothy Olawale, said Nigerians had waited and expected to see some names of technocrats on the list, but the association discovered that the list contained mostly recycled politicians that were picked based on political patronage and mostly for their roles as party men.
He said, “We had expected that with the delay by the President in constituting his cabinet, the team would be populated by professionals that had distinguished themselves in their area of calling.
“That the selection would be based on merit and what they could offer by way of adding value to governance. While we cannot say those on the list cannot deliver on the government’s agenda, we note that they are mostly recycled politicians that are picked based on political patronage and mostly for their roles as party men.
“We had hoped party considerations would be set aside to assemble technocrats that could lead the nation out of its current economic doldrums.
“We only hope their tenure in office will be that of meritorious service to the nation and the good of the people and not marked by opportunity to recoup expenses incurred for political activities in the last elections. Nigerians are watching to assess them and it remains to be seen if they will selflessly live up to expectations.”