Jide Ojo, a veteran analyst and columnist, says President Bola Ahmed Tinubu may appoint former Governors Dave Umahi of Ebonyi state or Nyesom Wike of Rivers state as minister of works.
According to him, the past works of the former governors at the state level make them more qualified for the top job.
Who Tinubu may appoint as minister of works, analyst reveals
Meanwhile, President Tinubu alluded that competence rather than politics will weigh heavily on his choice of ministers.
But Ojo is of the opinion that although former Plateau state governor, Simon Lalong, performed in his state and also worked for Tinubu’s emergence, Wike and Umahi’s efficiency as former governors make them the ideal candidate for the Ministry of Works.
Speaking on President Tinubu constituting his cabinet this week, Ojo told Legit.ng:
“The advise I will give the president is that he has no luxury of time and the ideal thing will be for him to inaugurate the 45 ministers that have been confirmed by the senate and find a replacement for the three who are yet to be cleared by the security agencies and confirmed by the senate.
“It’s another challenge. Will you make a former governor a minister of state? you can’t. he will consider it beneath him. because truly a minister of state is a junior minister and their salaries are not the same.
“We can’t dwell on the three former governors on the list rather we will be dealing with the eight former governors on the list.
“So the point is, it’s a hard call for me to say. I feel Dave Umahi should be made the minister of works, given the enormous work he did in his state.
“I was in Abakaliki last December, I saw a lot of infrastructural development. but so did Wike. Wike also changed the landscape of Rivers state. So he will also merit being made a minister of works.”
Speaking on the fate of Lalong and other former governors on the ministerial list to form Tinubu’s cabinet, Ojo opined thus: “Asiwaju has had to contend with these nominees, He now has to work through where to place them. And with these, there will be creation of many more ministries.”…
