August Ministers, no its September Ministers! As Buhari announces his cabinet

It was Oprah Winfrey that says “lot of people want to ride with you in the limo but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down”

By Olubunmi Omoogun

I’m afraid the people President Muhammadu Buhari needs now are credible people who can resist the lure of a limo and bullet proof mercedes or BMW 240million Naira worth. Someone that would not mind joining the President in a bus. Nigeria at the moment is going through a purge. Like so many people have said, a country without a prudent culture of spending money in the name of paraphenelia of office has a lot of rethinking to do. This country has over the years expended or allowed public office holders such as federal ministers to syphon money from the till. This is where the issue of declaration of assets comes in.
The country’s president, Muhammadu Buhari, a man of alleged little material means and Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, a Redeemed Christian Church of God senior Pastor have both led from the front to declare their assets. It is almost certain that the incoming Ministers will at the commencement of duties be compelled to declare their assets.

Although some would argue that this declaration of assets business looks like a no-win situation. Which invariably means that its possible that you under declare or over declare to make room for adjustments for what you would steal while in office.
After 100 days in office, the song in the mouth of everyone is when shall we see our new Ministers? Mr Femi Adesina wrote this recently and its instructive.

“Some people say the sheriff did not hit the ground running, as he is yet to constitute his cabinet in 100 days. And I usually ask such people: when you hit the ground, and you land in mud, how do you begin to run immediately? You can only sink deeper, if you attempt to run.

The thing to do is to first clear the mud, till you get to terra firma, and then you can begin to run”.
The rest of the write up from the Special Adviser makes good reading.

Let’s take a look at these likely names of would-be Ministers:
Pat Utomi, Kayode Fayemi, Rotimi Amaechi and Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN). Take Babatunde Fashola for instance, a former governor of Lagos State (Eko o ni baje o). In boxing world, Fashola is a south pole because he is a left handed. You know what they say about a left handed. They are regarded as intelligent, business-like, dutiful and shrewd. Remember how he and his team in Lagos fought Ebola Virus Disease to a standstill within a matter of few weeks. He had to cut short his pilgrimage in Mecca to attend to that very pressing matter, setting up an ebola emergency operations centre in Lagos. You can imagine the damage the virus could have done in Lagos (a population of more than 12million people) if Fashola and his team had not swung into action. This is a feat Sierra Leone could not achieve even after 2years killing people in Port Loko and other towns in Sierra Leone.
Sadly, another 4 cases were reported two days or so ago still in
Sierra Leone.

Education is the most powerful weapon that can be used to change the world. Babatunde Raji Fashola transformed education in Lagos state. He implemented the Teachers’ Salary Scale (TSS) for teachers in the state public schools and  of course  the ‘Adopt a School Initiative’. Under him the bureaucratic bottlenecks made way for prompt service delivery.
Raji Fashola in an engagement with a gathering of professionals
explained that during his time as governor, Lagos was largely
insulated from indebtedness because of the dedication and commitment of its team who worked assiduously to deliver and come up with uncommon template of running a mega city.
Fashola is both a technocrat and democrat who has proved his worth consistently while serving as Chief of Staff to Governor emeritus Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and then as governor of Lagos, 2007 to 2015.
Lagos indeed worked under Fashola little wonder the slogan ‘ Fashola is working, Lagos is working’!
It won’t be a shock to most  people if Raji Fashola’s name made the list of Buhari’s ministerial disciples. Good product doesn’t need much persuasion, it naturally sells itself. Good luck Fash the SAN!