Those Who Will Not Make Jonathan's Cabinet •As Women Lobbyists Mount Pressure On First Lady
As President Goodluck Jonathan continues to grapple with intense pressure on constitution of his next cabinet,
indications are rife that he has set the standard for anyone who craves to make list of nominees for ministerial appointment, else such person should forget about being appointed.
Saturday Tribune checks in the Presidential Villa revealed that the new cabinet will comprise of both old and new members, with criteria already listed for whoever will eventually make the list.
According to findings, few of the current ministers will be retained by the president and their retention will be based on performance in the positions they currently occupy and whether they will add value to the new government.
It was learnt that President Jonathan is really searching for technocrats, well experienced key players as well as goal-getters to be part of his new cabinet, believing that Nigerians are currently impatient and want people who will deliver as ministers.
“The president is looking at whether the persons to be made ministers have requisite qualifications and whether they will be big players. He wants those who will not be pre-occupied with self interest, but would consider Nigeria’s interest as paramount,” a source said.
Finding also revealed that the president is looking for a team player to drive the goals of his administration and not people with solo mission, even as it was gathered that successful candidates for ministerial position must not have cases of fraud against them or be involved in shady deals.
Based on the standards set and high expectations Nigerians have of the in-coming cabinet, Saturday Tribune learnt that the presidency has set up a high-powered committee, even unknown to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leadership, to conduct rigorous screening of a list of over 360 nominees forwarded by state chapters of the party from across the country.
According to a source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, President Jonathan will likely unveil his new ministers a week or two after his inauguration on May 29, 2011.
Meanwhile, the manner of short-listing of nominees in some states of the federation have started generating ripples as stakeholders in some of the states are accusing the party of failing to carry along most members.
This is coming as more women, who crave to get ministerial appointments, have continued to hover around the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, inundating her with their curriculum vitae which they had submitted through party elders from different states.
The pressure on the First Lady had stemmed from the vows by President Jonathan to uphold the promise of 35 per cent appointment for women as she had all along demonstrated strength to make good the promise on her own account.
Some top officials in the First Lady’s office confided in Saturday Tribune that the manner Dame Patience brought into the cabinet the current Minister of Women Affairs, Josephine Anenih and former Minister of Information and Communications, Prof. Dora Akunyili, elicited women’s confidence, a reason many of them have been pressurising her through wives of their respective governors.
indications are rife that he has set the standard for anyone who craves to make list of nominees for ministerial appointment, else such person should forget about being appointed.
Saturday Tribune checks in the Presidential Villa revealed that the new cabinet will comprise of both old and new members, with criteria already listed for whoever will eventually make the list.
According to findings, few of the current ministers will be retained by the president and their retention will be based on performance in the positions they currently occupy and whether they will add value to the new government.
It was learnt that President Jonathan is really searching for technocrats, well experienced key players as well as goal-getters to be part of his new cabinet, believing that Nigerians are currently impatient and want people who will deliver as ministers.
“The president is looking at whether the persons to be made ministers have requisite qualifications and whether they will be big players. He wants those who will not be pre-occupied with self interest, but would consider Nigeria’s interest as paramount,” a source said.
Finding also revealed that the president is looking for a team player to drive the goals of his administration and not people with solo mission, even as it was gathered that successful candidates for ministerial position must not have cases of fraud against them or be involved in shady deals.
Based on the standards set and high expectations Nigerians have of the in-coming cabinet, Saturday Tribune learnt that the presidency has set up a high-powered committee, even unknown to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leadership, to conduct rigorous screening of a list of over 360 nominees forwarded by state chapters of the party from across the country.
According to a source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, President Jonathan will likely unveil his new ministers a week or two after his inauguration on May 29, 2011.
Meanwhile, the manner of short-listing of nominees in some states of the federation have started generating ripples as stakeholders in some of the states are accusing the party of failing to carry along most members.
This is coming as more women, who crave to get ministerial appointments, have continued to hover around the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, inundating her with their curriculum vitae which they had submitted through party elders from different states.
The pressure on the First Lady had stemmed from the vows by President Jonathan to uphold the promise of 35 per cent appointment for women as she had all along demonstrated strength to make good the promise on her own account.
Some top officials in the First Lady’s office confided in Saturday Tribune that the manner Dame Patience brought into the cabinet the current Minister of Women Affairs, Josephine Anenih and former Minister of Information and Communications, Prof. Dora Akunyili, elicited women’s confidence, a reason many of them have been pressurising her through wives of their respective governors.
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