Strong indications emerged on Sunday that new ministers would be appointed this week as part of President Umaru Yar‘Adua‘s effort at re-engineering his government.
A top Presidency source disclosed to our correspondent that this was why Yar‘Adua would not be attending the United Nations summit on African Development which begins on Monday (today) nor the 63rd General Assembly of the UN beginning on Wednesday as exigencies at home demanded that he stayed behind.
According to the source, the President is still working on the cabinet reshuffle, adding that the final list of the new ministers may be out on or before Wednesday, when the Federal Executive Council is expected to hold its last meeting before October 1.
The source explained that the President decided to drop the American trip because there were more challenges currently at home than abroad.
It was also gathered that the six-member technical committee set up by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Alhaji Yayale Ahmed, headed by Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, on September 11 had submitted its report.
The committee was given one week to finish its assignment ahead of Wednesday‘s FEC meeting where major decisions would be unfolded.
A reliable source said that more technocrats were needed in the new cabinet and the President was spreading his dragnet wide. He added that it was the only way he could implement his seven-point agenda.
The President reportedly said that if he succeeded in getting the calibre of people he wanted, partisan consideration in ministerial appointment would be drastically reduced.
Under the new template released two weeks ago, 28 ministries would be in operation, including the Ministry of Niger Delta, while 42 ministers will be appointed to reflect the federal character imperatives.
The source said, “The President will not be attending the UN 63rd General Assembly because of urgent matters at home. He is busy working on the new cabinet list which will be out latest Wednesday.
“He considers the UN Assembly important, but he is needed more at home now than abroad. The tasks before him are major challenges, which required that he stayed at home to deal with them.
“We Nigerians should learn to prioritise our national needs; and I feel that, that is what Mr. President has done.”
Media reports had on Sunday indicated that Yar‘Adua had directed the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chief Ojo Maduekwe, to represent him at the UN plenary, where he was expected to deliver a speech.
But a Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Bagudu Hirse, told our correspondent that he was not aware of Maduekwe‘s appointment.
”I advise you call the minister on his phone to confirm that or you come to his office on Monday (today), he will be in the office,” he explained.
The Special Adviser on Communications to the President, Mr. Olusegun Adeniyi, had shortly after the restructuring of the ministries were announced, hinted that the President‘s interactive sessions with the ministers was aimed at knowing those who had performed and those who might be shown the way out.
Part of the SGF‘s report to Yar‘Adua was the corporate mandate of each ministry and the cost effective structure that would deliver the mandate in line with the seven-point agenda.
Already, some ministers are without portfolios with the restructuring of ministries announced two weeks ago, just as parastatals under the supervision of each ministry will be realigned accordingly.
Sources also told a United States-based Nigerian news agency, Empowered Newswire, on Sunday that Yar‘Adua had opted out of today’s summit.
Reservations and arrangements had been made for the President‘s stay in New York until it was learnt that Yar‘Adua had backed out of the summit.
The news agency reported that a Federal Government source said the President declined to attend the summit because he planned to announce the composition of a new FEC on that day.
It was gathered that some Federal Government officials had secured an appointment for the First Lady, Hajia Turai Yar‘Adua, to meet the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, before the latest development.
It was learnt that Nigerian diplomats at the UN only got the hint on Friday that Yar‘Adua might not attend the summit after hotel reservations and other arrangements in New York had been concluded.
However, the annual invitation to world leaders to speak was considered a well-known diplomatic practice at the UN.
Each country‘s mission was expected to have indicated earlier who would be representing it at the summit.
Sources said there were countries which had indicated over a month ago that their heads of government/state would not be attending the annual event.
For instance, Austria had said it would be represented by the country’s foreign Affairs Minister. Also, Germany had indicated that its Deputy Chancellor would be speaking for the country. Cuba had also notified the UN that it would be represented by its Vice-President.
In the case of Nigeria, the Federal Government had indicated even before he travelled to Saudi Arabia that Yar’Adua would be representing Nigeria at the annual meeting.
That had influenced the special slot the country got on the order of speaking since presidents, kings and prime ministers get to speak ahead of deputy prime ministers, vice presidents or even ministers.
According to Empowered Newswire, the Nigerian situation had created anxieties at the UN as no one knows yet who will be representing Nigeria in place of Yar‘Adua.
A UN source who spoke on condition of anonymity said, “We do not even know yet who will be speaking for Nigeria at the General Assembly.
“For a country seeking to be taken serious as a contender for the UN Security Council seat, this is not a very appropriate diplomatic move.”
What is clear, however, is that if Yar’Adua is not attending, then the current preferred slot given Nigeria to speak would be lost since it is a slot reserved only for presidents, kings and prime ministers.
