Nigerians anxiously awaiting President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s new cabinet will have to wait a little more.However, the list of the prospective ministers is ready and only waiting for the Senate, which is at present on recess, for the confirmation of the nominees.

Briefing State House correspondents at the end of yesterday’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, which lasted exactly two hours and presided over by President Yar’Adua, the Minister of Communications and Information John Odey said the announcement of a new cabinet would be done at the President’s discretion.

Asked if the cabinet reshuffle was discussed at the FEC meeting, Odey said: “Definitely, there is a way forward because council resolutions have been passed today and the structure as listed to you has been approved.”

On when to expect the new cabinet, the minister replied, “That is at the pleasure of Mr. President. All cabinet ministers and members are at the pleasure of Mr. President and of course that will be done by Mr. President himself.”
But the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Olusegun Adeniyi, said in a chat with State House correspondents last night that the ministerial list had been completed and was only waiting for the Senate, which at present is on recess, to confirm the new ministers.

“Well, the cabinet reshuffle is not a public relations gambit for the President. It is based on the need to galvanise government and improve on service delivery by identifying areas where there ought to be changes and bringing in new talents that would do the job.

“That process I can assure you is completed but since the Senate, which is the confirming authority, is currently on recess, there is no wisdom in creating vacuums at a period finishing touches are being put on the 2009 budget.

“The better part of next week is public holiday, so there is no hurry and I know the President to be a very painstaking person when it comes to crucial decisions as in this instance. And perhaps to assure you I have not been gagged, you can quote me on that, there will be a ministerial reshuffle,” he added.

However, the fate of ministers nominated from the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) remains unknown in the impending cabinet reshuffle as their political parties are yet to be contacted.

Two ministers from ANPP and one from PPA are currently serving in the President Yar’Adua’s Government of National Unity (GNU).

The Action Congress (AC) has criticised the Presidency for compelling staff members to take an oath of secrecy.The AC described the action as a blow to transparency in governance and “a comical repudiation of the clamour for the passage of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill.”

The Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) had earlier expressed similar sentiment when its National Publicity secretary, Mr. Osita Okechukwu, described the oath of office taken by presidential aides as a manifestation of Yar’Adua’s attempt to rule by dictatorship.

In a statement issued in Abuja by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the AC said by subjecting the appointees to the “oath of shame,” the Presidency had set the stage for rumours about activities of the government.


The party said the appointees, being the personal staff of the president, were not known to the constitution, wondering why it was so important to subject them to the Official Secrecy Act.