Ministers: Non-politicians likely to make final list

*I will only appoint decent Nigerians – Buhari

OLUSESAN LAOYE
Technocrats, who are non card-carrying members of political parties, are going to serve as ministers in the government of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The revelation was made yesterday in Abuja by President Buhari who reassured that only patriotic, decent and experienced Nigerians would be appointed as ministers in his government.

The president, who was responding to questions on ‘Good Morning Nigeria’, a television programme, said that politicians and technocrats would make the list of nominees for ministerial appointments.

“From what I have seen so far, we need really patriotic Nigerians – Nigerians that can work very hard, knowledgeable, experienced, committed Nigerians – to be in charge of ministries.

“A lot of the institutions of Nigeria – important institutions – were compromised. Everybody was for himself and God for all of us; it is most unfortunate. We have the people, educated people, experienced people but everybody seemed to be working for himself – how much he could get as much and as quick as possible.

“We have to look for technocrats and we have to look for politicians and certainly we have to look for decent people in this class to give them the responsibility of being in charge of ministries and important parastatals (agencies).”

On reported under-dealings in the nation’s oil and gas sector, the president said that the Federal Government was working very assiduously to expose the persons behind the illegal activities.

He promised that his administration would continue to update members of the public on government’s investigation into the matter.

He said that government’s aim was to identify and prosecute all those found culpable.

According to him, the relevant shipping documents are being compiled for onward submission to countries of destination of stolen Nigerian crude oil.

The president revealed that the theft continued up till July 10, and monies meant for the country were diverted to foreign accounts.

“The search continues; up to the third of this month, our crude was still being illegally lifted by people who are in government.

“We are trying to get these documents. We are getting the cooperation of the international community.

“We are going to make sure that those who perpetrated this theft against Nigeria are faced with facts very soon and are taken to our courts.

“We’ve got the cooperation of some of the countries of the destinations of our crude (oil) and we are discussing with them.

“We have to maintain high confidentiality so that we don’t risk some of the loyal Nigerians that are helping us to trace the destinations of this stolen crude and then the accounts into which the monies are being paid instead of the Federal Government account.”

Buhari said that his administration was still studying the recommendations on how the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation should be reorganised.

He described his recent trip to the United States (US) as very successful as he was able to extract the commitment of the American government to assist and support Nigeria toward tackling the economic and security challenges it was facing.

He said that the US and other European countries had also pledged to assist Nigeria by putting in place necessary security mechanism in the Gulf of Guinea to help check the theft of the country’s crude oil.

Commenting on the leadership tussle in the National Assembly, the president reiterated that he would not interfere directly in the affairs of the lawmakers.

Buhari, who expressed displeasure and frustration over the lingering crisis in the Assembly, however, called on those behind the dispute to search their conscious and obey party’s decisions on issues concerning their affairs.

He called on Nigerians to cooperate with his administration to move the country forward and warned that no part of the country would be allowed to operate on its own.

President Buhari also revealed that his predecessor, former President Goodluck Jonathan, conceded the 2015 presidential election to him only “reluctantly”.

Answering a question on his trip to the United States and the willingness of the US to sell weapons to Nigeria, he said: “Americans are willing to help us, they understand our problems, they sympathize with us. This I think you ought to know from the time the secretary of state came here before the elections.

“He saw the former president, INEC; the opposition, too. America’s stand is it will not accept anything done in Nigeria outside the constitution of Nigeria and outside the Electoral Act.

“Now, you know what was done to threaten the last election, including threatening INEC by telling them that their security cannot be guaranteed and they added six weeks extension to the time of the election. Luckily, APC won the election and then, reluctantly, the opposition conceded and the rest, as they say, is history.

“So really the Americans have shown concern, they spoke to the former president, INEC, the opposition and maintained the pressure throughout. The Americans are in agreement with Europe and Nigeria then to be grateful to America that Nigerian elections are conducted according to the law.”