Buhari’s ‘Cabinet Of Mismatch’: Nigerians Pick Holes In Award Of Portfolios

As expected, President Muhammadu Buhari’s inauguration of his cabinet on Wednesday has sparked reactions on social media.

Buhari administered oath of office to 43 of his ministers and assigned portfolios to them during Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting that held at the State House, Abuja.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha, also took his oath of office during the ceremony.

Reactions have however trailed the newly-inaugurated cabinet as Nigerians took to twitter to fault the portfolios assigned to some of the ministers.

Sunday Dare

Mr. Sunday Akin Dare, a former commissioner for stakeholders’ engagement in the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), was named the new Minister of Youths and Sports Development.

Many expected that Dare would be appointed as communications minister owing to how he responded to questions on the challenges facing the communications sector during the recent ministerial screening. But to the shock of many, Isa Ali Pantami, the immediate past Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) was appointed communications minister.

“Sunday Dare would have been left in communication. He did well during the ministerial screening. His knowledge about communication is top notch. Guess what, he was assigned Minister of Sport/youth development,” said twitter user (@ndubuisi_nvd)

@KMalomz said: “Sunday Dare is another misplaced portfolio, besides showing good knowledge of the industry during screening, he was also a director (commissioner) in NCC, which means he can hit the ground running. Pantami, however good he is, will still have to learn on the job. Time we don’t have.”

Festus Keyamo

Some twitter users criticized the appointment of Mr Festus Kayemo the new Minister of State for Niger Delta, saying he is “too serious minded” to be made a junior minister.

As a youth and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), many expected that Keyamo would be able to give vibrancy and energy to an administration many believe is in dire need of vivacity.

The senior advocate will serve as a junior minister under former Akwa Ibom State governor and senator, Godswill Akpabio, who was appointed the Minister of Niger Delta.

@Deenazla said: “Festus Keyamo should be somewhere in Justice, Transportation, or even Youth & Sport.  Give active & serious-minded people some serious responsibilities.”

@hamzabello said: “Festus Keyamo being minister of state under Akpabio is not it. There’s so much more he could give elsewhere. Waste of opportunity to reform our judicial system.”

@EraRepair said: “I don’t think festus keyamo deserves to be treated like this. Akpabio couldn’t even deliver is constituency. Festus worked is ass out. He deserves AGF or minister of justice. I may not agree with him but he really worked for Buhari more than anybody.

Adamu Adamu

Adamu, who retained his office as the Minister of Education, earned most of the negative reactions that greeted the composition of President Buhari’s second cabinet.

Many believe the accountant and former journalist performed woefully in his term and shouldn’t have been re-appointed by the President.

@shilohbliss said: “Please can you tell Nigerians @NGRPresident @MBuhari, what has Mr Adamu Adamu achieved in Education for him to be returning to that ministry for another 4years???”

@JARGOFILS: “Adamu Adamu retaining Edu. Ministry is a No for me, he is an accountant and not an educationist, he lacks ideas and vision that befits that ministry.”

@OgbeniDipo: “What did Adamu Adamu achieve in the last 4 years for him to be retained as Minister of Education? What radical educational policies did he introduce at the basic level or for tertiary education? Why not entrust that VERY IMPORTANT SECTOR to someone else?”

@TaiwoBusolami: “Adamu Adamu as Minister for Education. We are a joke of a Nation walahi! Someone that 13 million children are out of school under his watch without any intervention or a move to solve it.”