Gone with the Wind

Gone with the Wind

President Muhammadu Buhari’s ministerial list released this week swept away many ministers in his first tenure dreaming of returning. Ahamefula Ogbu notes that but for Kemi Adeosun that left in a cloud of dust, Kayode Fayemi that transmuted to a governor, Aisha Alhassan that resigned and James Ocholi who died in an accident, many others were swept away by the wind of the next level

Okechukwu Enelamah

He hails from Abia State and was believed to have made the cabinet on the recommendation of the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo. Enelamah was assigned the Industry, Trade, and Investment portfolio. Prior to his stint with President Buhari, Enelamah was an Audit Senior and Consultant at KPMG Professional Services, previously Arthur Anderson. He also worked in Goldman Sachs and Zephyr Management. Towards the end of his tenure when 2019 budget was being prepared, he was embroiled in some provisional financial controversies.

Udo Udoma

He is from Akwa Ibom State and held the Budget and Planning portfolio. A lawyer by profession, he was, prior to his appointment as minister, a Senator under the platform of the PDP. Towards the end of his tenure, he was allegedly involved in shares controversy where he and Enalemah were allegedly quizzed.

Adebayo Shittu

He hails from Oyo State and was the Minister of Communication. Towards the end of his tenure as minister, he pressed for the gubernatorial ticket of the All Progressives Congress but was denied. He had been embroiled in the controversy of dodging the compulsory one year National Youths Service Corps (NYSC). He also was sucked into a web of controversy over alleged purchase of real estates and accused by his aides of withholding their entitlements before the allegations of sleaze. 

Isaac Adewole

A former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Isaac Adewole was the health minister and represented Osun State in the federal cabinet. He is a professor of gynaecology and obstetrics. He grappled with the humongous issues bedeviling the sector but was not able to stem the health tourism that drains Nigeria’s resources.

Solomon Dalung

He hails from Plateau and was adjudged the buffoon of the cabinet with his numerous grammatical and operational gaffes. Dalung was the Minister of Youth and was always in the news for the wrong reasons. He is mostly remembered for the failure of his ministry to return $130,000 overpayment by the International Association of Athletics Federations, which brought odium to the country. He worked with the Nigerian Prisons Service, the University of Jos as lecturer and as Chairman of Langtang South Local Government Area of his state before his appointment.

Audu Ogbeh

He represented Benue State in the federal cabinet and held Agriculture ministry portfolio. Said to be a cerebral farmer that has been on the scene for decades, he was in the news for alleging that Nigerians were wasting foreign exchange ordering pizza through British Airways. He put forward several propositions on improving the sector but nothing worked under him though it was variously claimed that the country attained self-sufficiency in food production. He proposed to import grass for cows but was unable to do anything about farmers- herders clashes. He had been deputy speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, Minister of Communications, as well as Steel Development.

Ibe Kachickwu

Hails from Delta State and was the Minister of State, Petroleum Resources and former Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. He ruffled feathers when he said contracts were being awarded by the NNPC GMD without recourse to him. He failed to get the refineries working. Under him, fuel subsidy skyrocketed with NNPC claiming that Nigeria consumes over 60 million liters of fuel daily, which spiked the amount the nation spent on subsidy.

Abdulrahman Dambazau

A retired Nigerian Army Lieutenant-general and Nigeria’s former Minister of Interior. He hails from Kaduna State and is said to be worth several million dollars in real estate. He was Chief of Army Staff under late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s cabinet. Continued porous borders and weakened internal security were his scorecards. He also served as Chief Instructor, Support Weapon Wing of the Infantry Centre and School from 1999 to 2001 and later as Directing Staff at the National War College from 2004 to 2006. From 2007-2008 he served as General Office Commander (GOC) 2nd Division, Ibadan. 

Muhammed Dan Ali

He was a retired Nigerian Army Brigadier-general, who represented Zamfara State. A former Defence Minister, but his home state was seized by armed bandits as did most parts of the country till he was dropped. His tenure was marked by abuse of power by security operatives and opaque procurement process. He is also remembered for openly insisting that Nigerians must accommodate herders that sacked villages and wiped out settlements.

Usani Uguru

He is from Cross River State and served as Minister of Niger Delta Affairs where the ministry failed to make any impact in addressing the issues of development for which the ministry was created. He was personal assistant to Governor Clement Ebri and later contested for governorship of the state. He also was Commissioner for Youth, Sports and Social Development, Cross River State. 

Aisha Abubakar

Aisha Abubakar was Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment from Sokoto State. She worked at African Development Bank between 1993 -1999.

Heineken Lokpobiri

He is from Bayelsa State and was the Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development. He is currently pushing to be governor of his state in the November elections. He has nothing to show as record in the ministry.

Abubakar Bawa Bwari

Bwari from Niger State was minister of State for Mines and Steel Development. When the substantive minister, Kayode Fayemi resigned to contest for governorship of Ekiti State, he stepped in and worked in both capacities. 

Omole Daramola

He was Niger Delta Minister of State; hails from Ondo State. Under his watch, nothing much was done in the ministry.

Suleiman Hassan

A Surveyor, he was Minister of State, Environment and hails from Jara in Yalmatu Deba Local Government Area of Gombe State. He was Minister of State II, Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing before he was moved to Environment.

Osagie Ehanire

Hails from Oredo, Edo State and was Minister of State for Health.

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