[dropcap]I[/dropcap]t does not matter that some people will call one names. But if the truth must be told President Muhammadu Buhari’s list of ministers remain a disappointment.
I am not bothered about the competence or otherwise of the names on the list. However, the old man took Nigerians for a ride.
The ONLY reason given by Mr. President for the delay in naming a cabinet was “a need to search far and wide to get a team of Nigerians with clean hands to run the country with him.” This reason was supposed to back up his anti-corruption crusade. But alas, Buhari failed miserably on that score!
The list presented to the Senate by Mr. President could have been completed within 24 hours of assumption of office. He could even have done same within one week from 29 May 2015.
But from Nigeria to US, UK and France among others, the song on Buhari’s lips was, to paraphrase the late legend, Abami Eda, “My people are useless; my people are corrupt; my people are no good.”
To me, internal political intrigues delayed the ministerial list, not ANY search for some incorruptible or less-corrupt Nigerians. Buhari lied. And that is very bad for a leader that many within and outside Nigeria are looking up to for a change in the average Nigerian’s attitude to issues like lies – the very root of corruption. Buhari took us for a ride. There was no need for the long delay.
Yes, civil servants have been acting. And a number of naive persons have been praising them forgetting that without those saddled with the responsibility of formulating policies that the civil servants will follow, governance will surfer. It is a democracy with a constitution to follow, not a military set-up where things can be done anyhow.
The Senate should speedily allow the Ministers to start work by giving a OK to the list.
It is now clear the anti-corruption song remains that, orin kiko, to lull the gullible to sleep.
Only about three of the whole lot do not have one allegation of corruption or the other against them. And they are yet to have their day in court. In other places, their names will not even feature.
But, we dey Naija!
Wale Adebayo is publisher and editor-in-chief at Uhuru Times. He is on Facebook.
The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.
