PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu is close to reshuffling his cabinet 17 months after assuming office. The speculation in the public of a cabinet reshuffle had gained frequency for some time because of the perceived non-performance of some ministers. The Presidency has now confirmed the reshuffle.
The average performance of the Tinubu administration is largely foundational. It is a product of unfulfilled campaign promises and policy flip-flops. The President promised to “hit the ground running,” but it took him nearly three months to constitute his cabinet.
The administration started with the controversy generated by the “subsidy is gone” policy, yet no minister was on the ground to mitigate the crisis. Consequently, things stood still for the first three months of the government. Public perception of the government is still a product of that initial slip.
The President had promised a “cabinet of technocrats.” In the end, he unveiled a cabinet heavy on politicians. The outcome is the good, the bad, and the ugly profile of the cabinet.
When the President eventually constituted the cabinet, he established the policy coordination unit to drive performance and put the ministers on their toes, but Nigerians have yet to see the impact. Only a few demonstrated competence so far. Consequently, instead of corporate achievement of the Renewed Hope Agenda, the country witnessed flashes of achievements powered by individual capacities.
The first 16 months of this administration are therefore periods of missed opportunities. They must be doubly regained. This administration must go back to the drawing board, walk its talk, and implement strategies to get the next two and a half years right. The policy coordination unit must adopt progressive evaluation and not post-mortem analysis with appropriate timelines to make the desired impact.
Most areas of national life are beset by underfunding and dilapidated facilities, but a few ministers have been able to make a difference. Nigerians can feel the bold initiatives, programmes, projects, and innovations being undertaken by the ministers of the FCT, Interior, and Works. These are products of good and deep thinking powered by passion. Tinubu needs to seek more men of passion, vision, and innovation to man the other sectors.
Many ministers are operating below the average. It is indeed obvious that many of them cannot work without supervision. Some of the ministers need to be pushed to talk even about the little impact they have made.
The Petroleum Ministry which the President oversees is overwhelmed by crisis. Tinubu is too busy to combine this crucial ministry with his job. Oil earnings fund 90 per cent of the country’s budget. Tinubu should yield the ministry to a capable hand to lift the country out of the long-running economic crisis.
The composition of the present cabinet, 47 in all and the largest in the Fourth Republic is unwieldy and out of sync with the economy. The President should slash them to a manageable number. He should look for technocrats and a few politicians with sterling records to power his agenda.
Nigeria requires people with experience and excellent records who can think out of the box and function in this digital era. This is not the time to give critical ministries to allies and political cronies, especially those who retired decades ago and are out of tune with current economic realities.
Ordinarily, the composition of the cabinet should be done discreetly by the President working with a few trusted allies to avoid distraction and needless lobbying. The proposed reshuffle is unfortunately in the public space, but the President should eschew distractions and exhibit courage and conviction in choosing the most competent.
