There appears to be disquiet in the Peoples
Democratic Party over President Goodluck Jonathan’s decision to appoint
several technocrats, who are non-PDP members, as ministers.
THE PUNCH learnt in Abuja on Thursday that the issue formed the sole agenda of the party’s National Working Committee meeting on June 15.
An NWC member, who spoke with our correspondent on the condition of anonymity, said that most of his colleagues did not understand why Jonathan went outside the PDP to pick technocrats when the party’s list of nominees included many technocrats.
He disclosed that when the NWC’s complaint reached Jonathan last week, he quickly summoned the party’s Acting National Chairman, Dr. Haliru Mohammed, to the Presidential Villa for a discussion.
According to him, Mohammed, on his return, informed the NWC members that the President had difficulties in accommodating the list presented to him by the PDP.
In attendance at the meeting were Alkali; the National Secretary, Alhaji Abubakar Baraje; the National Auditor, Dr. Samuel Ortom; the Acting National Youth Leader, Alhaji Garba Musa; and the Deputy National Secretary, Dr. Musa Babayo, in attendance.
The National Vice-Chairman, North Central, Alhaji Yusuf Ayitogo; the National Treasurer, Mr. Williams Makinde; and others also attended the meeting.
Mohammed and the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Prof. Rufai Alkali, are among the NWC members on the ministerial list expected to be submitted by Jonathan to the Senate today.
Some states were reported to have forwarded the names of 10 nominees to the President to pick from.
At a point, Jonathan, who was also disturbed at the deluge of requests, had described those lobbying for ministerial positions as self-seekers. He promised to disappoint most of them.
The President’s desire to engage technocrats to achieve his election promises was said to have led to the drastic pruning of the list sent to him by the PDP.
It was learnt that although most of the NEC members who attended the June 15 meeting supported the idea of including technocrats in the cabinet, they were opposed to the domination of the federal cabinet by those they referred to as ‘outsiders.’
Our source also disclosed that the NWC members pointed out that all the ministries had enough technocrats to render the necessary advice to their ministers to achieve the President’s development agenda.
He said, “All I know is that the NWC members supported the President’s decision to bring in technocrats into the government. But they did not like the idea of bringing in many technocrats from outside the party.
“They believe that the PDP has enough technocrats with experience in diverse areas and the capacities to handle the specialised ministries.
“In fact, most of the members also argued that the entire ministries have enough technocrats to guide the actions of the ministers who are just political heads.”
However, the PDP position negates the spirit behind the consultative meeting Jonathan had on June 1 with leaders of other political parties. The President had at the meeting solicited the cooperation of the political party leaders by serving them notice of his intention to form an inclusive government.
The President had said, “I want to plead with you that I will not want to run a government of opposition party or main party. I want us to collectively run a Nigerian government, a government that will take the interest of the country at heart and work towards solving our problems, the problems that are dear to our people.
“As we want to start a new government, I am going to consult various groups and professional bodies and I think the first group I should consult is the political family.
“No matter who the President is, no matter who the governor is, what Nigerians are interested in, is to have food on their table, there should be infrastructure, there should be security and there should be good governance.
“I know that the ruling party alone cannot make this possible.”
Meanwhile, the party Zonal Legal Adviser for the North Central, Mr. Kabir Usman, has been included in the list of ministerial nominees.
It was gathered that Usman, who will take Kogi State’s slot might be made a Minister of State because of the inclusion of a former Attorney- General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Michael Adoke (SAN), also from Kogi State, in the list.
A source in the Presidency said that Usman was nominated by the state chapter of the PDP while Adoke was among the few nominees from the President.
It was further learnt that the issue of who takes the ministerial slot for Niger State has pitched Governor Babangida Aliyu against a former Minister of Information and a member of the Board of Trustees of the PDP, Prof. Jerry Gana, and other top politicians in the state.
Our correspondent gathered that the rift might have threatened the chances of a former Deputy Governor of Niger State, Alhaji Nuhu Zagbayi, from making the cabinet.
While Aliyu is said to be pushing for the nomination of a former Minister of Youths, Sports, and Social Development, Mr. Sani Ndanusa, Gana is believed to have a preference for Zagbayi.
However, Zagbayi is believed to have been screened by the Ministerial Screening Committee of the State Security Service and the Nigeria Intelligence Agency.
By Fidelis Soriwei, Abuja Courtesy Of: Punch
THE PUNCH learnt in Abuja on Thursday that the issue formed the sole agenda of the party’s National Working Committee meeting on June 15.
An NWC member, who spoke with our correspondent on the condition of anonymity, said that most of his colleagues did not understand why Jonathan went outside the PDP to pick technocrats when the party’s list of nominees included many technocrats.
He disclosed that when the NWC’s complaint reached Jonathan last week, he quickly summoned the party’s Acting National Chairman, Dr. Haliru Mohammed, to the Presidential Villa for a discussion.
According to him, Mohammed, on his return, informed the NWC members that the President had difficulties in accommodating the list presented to him by the PDP.
In attendance at the meeting were Alkali; the National Secretary, Alhaji Abubakar Baraje; the National Auditor, Dr. Samuel Ortom; the Acting National Youth Leader, Alhaji Garba Musa; and the Deputy National Secretary, Dr. Musa Babayo, in attendance.
The National Vice-Chairman, North Central, Alhaji Yusuf Ayitogo; the National Treasurer, Mr. Williams Makinde; and others also attended the meeting.
Mohammed and the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Prof. Rufai Alkali, are among the NWC members on the ministerial list expected to be submitted by Jonathan to the Senate today.
Some states were reported to have forwarded the names of 10 nominees to the President to pick from.
At a point, Jonathan, who was also disturbed at the deluge of requests, had described those lobbying for ministerial positions as self-seekers. He promised to disappoint most of them.
The President’s desire to engage technocrats to achieve his election promises was said to have led to the drastic pruning of the list sent to him by the PDP.
It was learnt that although most of the NEC members who attended the June 15 meeting supported the idea of including technocrats in the cabinet, they were opposed to the domination of the federal cabinet by those they referred to as ‘outsiders.’
Our source also disclosed that the NWC members pointed out that all the ministries had enough technocrats to render the necessary advice to their ministers to achieve the President’s development agenda.
He said, “All I know is that the NWC members supported the President’s decision to bring in technocrats into the government. But they did not like the idea of bringing in many technocrats from outside the party.
“They believe that the PDP has enough technocrats with experience in diverse areas and the capacities to handle the specialised ministries.
“In fact, most of the members also argued that the entire ministries have enough technocrats to guide the actions of the ministers who are just political heads.”
However, the PDP position negates the spirit behind the consultative meeting Jonathan had on June 1 with leaders of other political parties. The President had at the meeting solicited the cooperation of the political party leaders by serving them notice of his intention to form an inclusive government.
The President had said, “I want to plead with you that I will not want to run a government of opposition party or main party. I want us to collectively run a Nigerian government, a government that will take the interest of the country at heart and work towards solving our problems, the problems that are dear to our people.
“As we want to start a new government, I am going to consult various groups and professional bodies and I think the first group I should consult is the political family.
“No matter who the President is, no matter who the governor is, what Nigerians are interested in, is to have food on their table, there should be infrastructure, there should be security and there should be good governance.
“I know that the ruling party alone cannot make this possible.”
Meanwhile, the party Zonal Legal Adviser for the North Central, Mr. Kabir Usman, has been included in the list of ministerial nominees.
It was gathered that Usman, who will take Kogi State’s slot might be made a Minister of State because of the inclusion of a former Attorney- General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Michael Adoke (SAN), also from Kogi State, in the list.
A source in the Presidency said that Usman was nominated by the state chapter of the PDP while Adoke was among the few nominees from the President.
It was further learnt that the issue of who takes the ministerial slot for Niger State has pitched Governor Babangida Aliyu against a former Minister of Information and a member of the Board of Trustees of the PDP, Prof. Jerry Gana, and other top politicians in the state.
Our correspondent gathered that the rift might have threatened the chances of a former Deputy Governor of Niger State, Alhaji Nuhu Zagbayi, from making the cabinet.
While Aliyu is said to be pushing for the nomination of a former Minister of Youths, Sports, and Social Development, Mr. Sani Ndanusa, Gana is believed to have a preference for Zagbayi.
However, Zagbayi is believed to have been screened by the Ministerial Screening Committee of the State Security Service and the Nigeria Intelligence Agency.
By Fidelis Soriwei, Abuja Courtesy Of: Punch
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