by Sunday Ayami, Abuja
Barring any change of plan, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR would reshuffle his cabinet this week, impeccable sources close to the Presidential Villa, Nigeria’s seat of Power, told New National Star yesterday
Already, palpable fear has gripped the ministers and other senior government officials when the information was made know to some of them. It was gathered that Tinubu had before departing to China on an official trip, directed the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Chief of Staff to the President to put final touches on the new list of ministerial nominees for submission to the Senate for screening and ratification this week. Sources said the decision was “ to pave the way for the injection of fresh minds that would bring the needed vitality to the cabinet.”
Those to be affected according to him, are those “who have fallen short of the president’s expectations”
President Tinubu, has been monitoring the performance of all the ministers since they were appointed, and he “has decided to say goodbye to over 80 percent of his cabinet members”.
He adds that the president is not “going to follow the footsteps of his predecessor who never reshuffled his cabinet during his period”
The president, who just returned from China, is likely to leave for the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) that will take place in New York next week.
Explaining further, the source hinted that President Tinubu might execute the cabinet dissolution before leaving for the United States.
The president, it is said, is not unaware of the criticisms trailing some of the ministers and the complaints from the public over their performances and is ready to change that and improve the performance of his government.
He is said to be keeping the detail of the dissolution and those that will be exited to himself and trusted aides.
“President Tinubu is not satisfied with the performances of a number of his ministers and he is determined to show them the exit door,” the source disclosed, adding that the list of those that will replace the ministers to be axed is ready.
“On returning from UNGA, the president will reconstitute the cabinet,” said the source.
Asked if the resignation of the presidential spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale, is part of the intended house-cleaning, the source said Ngelale’s exit has no connection with the cabinet shake-up.
It is likely that a former minister in the Buhari government is likely to be one of the new candidates for ministerial positions.