No surprise yet – Bwacha
Senator Emmanuel Bwacha, deputy minority leader, said: “Except when we see the second batch, for this first list, I haven’t seen surprises here.”
No change here – Ohuabunwa
For Senator Mao Ohuabunwa, PDP, Abia North: “Well, the impression we were given was not exactly what we saw because the impression was that they were going to bring new people and maybe some that we have never heard of or seen. But I found out that the list is also whole lot of people that have been around, people we know, those who have been in the political circle. It could be part of the change.”
Nominees ‘re capable people – Alimikhena
Deputy Majority Whip, Senator Francis Alimikhena, APC, Edo North, said: “I believe that they are capable Nigerians that are recommended by the president. So, I wish them good luck, they are the people that will handle the country for us.”
Buhari has done due diligence – Rafiu
Senator Ibrahim Adedayo Rafiu, APC, Kwara South: “Definitely, the names are not expected to be ghosts, they are expected to be Nigerians, who have track records. Due diligence has been done by the President to bring the list to the Senate. We will do our own here by screening them to the hearing of the nation and we believe objectivity and capability will be the key points in the interest of Nigerians.”
It’s not worth it – Nwaboshi, Odia
Also contributing, Senator Peter Nwaboshi, PDP, Delta North said: “It’s not worth it. You can understand that it’s not worth the waiting, recycling of old hands! I know one of them was a minister when I was a young boy and is now on the list. It’s not worth the waiting. ”
Senator Clifford Odia, PDP, Edo Central spoke in like manner. He said: “For me, it is not worth the waiting because most of the names that he sent to us are all known to us. So,he (Buhari) didn’t need to spend all this time to bring to us names that we already know.”
List not exciting – PDP
Meanwhile, the national leadership of the PDP said, yesterday, that there was nothing exciting about the list. In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, the PDP said: “By a mere look at the list, one can tell that there is nothing to be excited about, especially considering the length of time it took the President to come up with it. Looking at the list, it is hard to put a finger on why it should take any serious-minded and focused government, six months after its election to assemble such a regular team.”
Senator Onwe kicks
The senator who once represented Ebonyi Central at the National Assembly, Senator Emmanuel Onwe, pooh-poohed the list, insisting that the President short-changed the South-East.
His words: “In spite of the uproar that greeted the lopsidedness of his initial rash appointments which saw the South East missing even from the margins of consideration, President Buhari has yet again come up with a ministerial nomination list that screams inequity and Igbo discrimination. Would we be wrong in concluding that the Civil war vendatta is yet to be laid to rest? All lovers of the Republic must now stare from the state of indifference and declare the truth.”
I am disappointed — Balarabe Musa
Speaking on the issue, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, said he was disappointed at President Buhari’s ministerial list because there is nothing spectacular about the names.
“Why did it take the President four months to come up with these names? I believe this is the question that many informed Nigerians should ask. These are the same old names, ordinary Nigerians who the President knows and he must have even met them several times. So, what is particular about them that he wasted so much time in appointing them ministers?”
Some are poster boys of corruption—Odumakin,
Spokesman of Afenifere, Mr Yinka Odumakin described some of the nominees as poster boys of corruption.
“Nearly everybody on that list has been involved one way of the other, at one level or the other since 1999, quite a few of them have serious allegations against them. In fact, some of them are poster boys of corruption. We hope that those who would do the screening will do a thorough screening. If we are fighting corruption on one hand, then those who have been portrayed to be corrupt should not be promoted to higher responsibility.”
It’s an exhibit of the best in the system — Ogunlewe
However, former Minister of Works, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe hailed the list, saying: “You cannot have it better, in terms of individual pedigree and the character of the individuals on the list. In fact, I associate myself with that list. It shows an exhibit of the best in the system and one cannot run away from that, not minding the possibility of anti-corruption stance of Mr President. Some of these people cannot be excluded from the anti-corruption crusade because they just left public office and they still have a lot of questions to answer.”
It’s a good team—Tsav
Also speaking, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav said: “I think it is a good team even though there are a few nominees who are alleged to have been engaged in corrupt practices, especially corrupt enrichment. Our laws state that every accused person is presumed innocent until the contrary is proven. The same could apply to the few listed here after all, they may even repent.”
Buhari assembled analogue ministers, betrayed youth – LP
National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP) Alhaji Abdulkadir Abdulsalam, said he is disappointed with the list because most of the names on the list are analogue people who have nothing to contribute.
The LP boss also wondered why President Buhari could not fulfill the promise he made to the Nigerian youth during the electioneering campaign, said: “For us in Labour Party, we do not see anything that resembles change as far as the ministerial team is concerned. Imagine bringing someone who served in the government of the late Sarduana of Sokoto to serve as minister in 2015, Buhari has nothing to offer Nigeria.
