DSomoryn|7 October 2015|6:50am
The repetition of history is not exonerating but manifesting in many facets of our national existence.
The fact of our beingness as a nation is that which is plagued by the captains of government professing their dear commitments to see the nation established to dine in/with the comity of first world nations. They publicize their good intentions to the high heavens for the well being of the nation which indubitably is glaring, acceptable and outrightly commendable.
Yet, demonstrations of their body languages verified by their actions in proving (if not) otherwise brings it to the table of questioning. Eye brows raised are to the genuineness of this goodwill. Hmmm! When goodwill is questionable. Bad will becomes a product of goodwill.
In the return of democratic governance in 1999, the best part of our economy was oil production. It was said "with an incorruptible manager vigilant enough to eye the resources, it would enable the country benefit in it".
This ( false) assumption saw Olusegun Obasanjo nominating himself as the minister to head this sector. It was at his heading that our democratic woes commenced as he personally oversaw the misappropriation and mismanagement (now money laundry) of the proceeds. This is not incognito to the recorded billions sunk into the sector that yielded no fruits.
However, both Musa Yar'Adua and Goodluck Jonathan saw the need for division of labour and (seeming) mastery and competence in others. It really made democracy, democratic.
Just after the exit of the duo, the leviathan-sheriff waded in through the back door of incompetence, premising upon his previous purported revamping and contribution to the formation of NNPC, has struggled to come and head his brainchild.
Ah! President Muhammad Buhari nominated himself for the Office of Minister of Petroleum thereby heading his brainchild NNPC to curb corruption. As the Constitution provides, he retains the power to solely nominate a minister to be subject to screening by the distinguished members of Nigeria's red chamber, the Senate.
According to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), the President is the Head of State, the Chief Executive of the Federation and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of
the Federation. He is the repository of the executive authority of the Federation. The reservoir of power as it were. The Constitution doesn't hitherto bar the president from being a minister but only from being a member of the other two branches of government (legislative and judiciary). So the president is free to be a minister. A member of his own cabinet.
Can/should he be screened?
The apex constitution recommends that the president submits the list of his nominees to the Senate for screening and approval. This has been the divide in the atmosphere. A multitude of people holds that the president is immune, should not be subject to the rigour of screening by the Senate since he is elected out of competence of all ramifications thereby suitable for any office in the country. This proponents believe more that, counting on the president former display of management of oil funds in the past (albeit the rumours that some funds were not accounted for) has the ability to reposition the oil and gas sector of the country. On the other hand, critics hold that though the president is strong enough in character to straighten the curved dealings in the sector, he should not repeat the military deal in this Democratic Era even though Obasanjo did. That he should not build on shady foundation and illogical antecedents of the Obasanjo regime. Please purse a minute: Is this heading of NNPC a post military thing? Na like say dem dey competent pass?
However, owing to our question above, if the screening of proposed ministers is based on academic, professional and experiential criteria, the president is to be screened based on these parameters without any 'take a bow and leave' consideration given to XYZ. This is to ensure that he possesses the requirements and passes the test.
We can not unequivocally say that the president should be excused in not being tested morally as it's pertinent to ascertain and reassertain his left level of morality. Hence, the president should be screened. Should face the 'red evils' of Nigeria. Immunity no dey this end.
Dangers of being a President-cum-Minister.
Being the repository of authority in the country, it is indubitable that the Senate may lack the temerity to summon the Minister of Petroleum in the president. This is may stem from PMB's stubbornness or elusive mien that snobs people. For the so anticipated change to take effect, and for the clarion call of all hands to be on deck, the president should be a watchdog not a minister. He should try another person. To say the least, he is not the only good Nigerian standing.
The president has a good plan for the health sector. He should be a minister therein. For his spartan zest of ending insurgency within three months, he qualifies to be the defense minister. What about Minister of Agriculture since he owned lives stocks? Let us not forget that he managed a simple account which would make the finance ministry a place for him. His ability to penetrate foreign powers to gather support for his election to the presidency as a candidate makes him a good and potent staff for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Though his inability to trace his purported plot of land in Port-Harcourt disqualified him from being Minister of Interior, his ability to remember can cause him to nominate himself therein.
