Ministers from the South-West: The kill or maim him syndrome

NOMINEES FROM THE SOUTH-WEST
•Dr Kayode Fayemi – Ekiti
•Babatunde Fashola – Lagos
•Mrs Kemi Adeosun – Ogun
•Mr Adebayo Shittu – Oyo
•Prof Isaac Adewole – Osun
•Prof Omoyele Daramola – Ondo

The South West is the only group, who because they’re
looking for offices in President Buhari’s government, are
resorting to what Yoruba people call; “If you can catch
him kill him; if you cannot get to kill him, demobilise
him.”
We are at each other’s jugular raising irrelevances about
ourselves, destroying ourselves before President Buhari.
Have you heard such about other people in other parts of
the country? It is unfortunate, we should go back to
Ogunde’s “Yoruba ronu.” Let’s put our thinking caps on.
Enough of self destruction.
— Chief Olusegun Osoba

AFTER four months of waiting, President Muhammadu
Buhari has finally released the names of ministerial
nominees expected to form the Federal Executive
Council, FEC.
Before the announcement of the nominees, expectations
were high that the successful candidates would assist
Buhari in actualising the ‘CHANGE’ promised by the All
Progressives Congress, APC.
With the backing of the 1999 Constitution, the president
has ensured that the federal character principle is
followed to the letter with each state of the federation
being represented at FEC.
The Nigerian Constitution requires at least one minister
to be named from each of the 36 states of the federation.
The eventual list, no doubt, was greeted with mixed
reactions with Nigerians having their reservations.
Some members the APC are also not comfortable, with
murmurings and grumblings trailing the nominees.
Members of the APC in the South-West have also
expressed their misgivings over the list as some leaders,
reportedly are at loggerheads over the successful
candidates that made the list.
Interestingly, the South-West parades men and women,
who have distinguished themselves in their various
fields of expertise.
Perhaps, the successful nominees were picked based on
the profound changes they have effected in various
capacities.
The nominees from the South-West are Kayode Fayemi,
former governor of Ekiti State; former governor of Lagos
State, Babatunde Fashola; a former commissioner for
finance in Ogun State, Kemi Adeosun; former
governorship candidate of CPC in Oyo state, Adebayo
Shittu.
Also from the zone, are a former Vice Chancellor of the
University of Ibadan, Professor Isaac Adewole from Osun
State and a professor of sociology, Professor Claudius
Omoyele Daramola from Ondo State.
Former govs
Of all the nominees, the South-West parades two former
governors, who would work closely with the president.
Messrs Fashola and Fayemi, alongside other nominees
from the zone, have been known to display a high level
of dexterity in their previous respective capacities.
Controversy trailing the list
There is no doubt that divergent views trailed the list
submitted by President Buhari in some states within the
zone.
Shittu enjoys support of Oke Ogun
In Oyo State, for instance, the debate over the choice of
Adebayo Shittu continues to garner heat.
It was gathered that Shittu, a governorship candidate of
the defunct CPC in Oyo State, was not the choice of
Governor Abiola Ajimobi.
From the onset, Gov. Ajimobi had opposed Shittu’s
nomination.
Perhaps sensing the nudge to throw his weight behind
Shittu’s nomination, the governor said he has forgiven
him.
Ajimobi said he would never oppose Shittu’s nomination
since it was the choice of the president.
“It is the president’s prerogative to select or nominate
his ministers but the practice has always been in
consultation with the state,” he said.
He, however, said Buhari was the leader of the party and
had told members to allow him select those who would
work with him.
“Shittu himself has come to me and has apologised. He
knew he was always against me and the party. He
campaigned against us. To forgive is divine. If we all
pray to God to forgive us our sins, then we should learn
to forgive others. A leader must learn to accommodate
and forgive. I have forgiven him,” he said.
The legal practitioner is, however,  said to enjoy support
from Oke-Ogun, his hometown.
The Oyo State Coalition group reminded the Senate of
many years of neglect and marginalization that the zone
had suffered at the hands of successive governments in
the state.
The group comprises trade groups, professionals,
artisans, the elderly and the youths.
Described as a grassroot politician, Shittu is said to be a
team player with an ardent desire to bring rapid
development to the community.
Fayose rallies NASS support for Fayemi
During the June 21 governorship election in Ekiti State,
Governor Ayodele Fayose trounced his predecessor, Dr
Kayode Fayemi.
Remarkably, Fayemi conceded defeat after the election
as a means of dousing the already tensed atmosphere in
the state.
Perhaps as pay back time, Fayose has directed
lawmakers representing the state at the National
Assembly to ensure Fayemi has a hitch-free screening
by the Senate.
No hassle for Adeosun in Ogun
In Ogun State, the nomination of Mrs. Kemi Adeosun did
not come as a surprise as was expected.
Adeosun’s nomination was as a result of the closeness
of Governor Ibikunle Amosun and the president, both of
whom were in the defunct All Nigeria’s Peoples Party,
ANPP.
As a matter of fact, Adeosun’s name was penciled down
to return as commissioner, having served as the
immediate past Commissioner for Finance in Ogun
State.
Also, the Ogun Grassroots Development Awareness
Forum, described her as an innovation-driven go getter
that Nigeria needs in her march to a new culture of
governance that is based on integrity and performance.
Aregbesola at a loss?
The Osun
State
governor,
Ogbeni
Rauf
Aregbesola and a leader of the party, were reported to be
at each other’s throats over the nomination and
submission of ministerial candidates for the state.
Though the state chapter of the APC has refuted the
claims, but the two leaders struggled to ensure their
nominees made the list.
The name of a former governor of the state, Prince
Olagunsoye Oyinlola was touted to be on the list but
eventually, Professor Adewole ended up taking the Osun
State slot.
Ondo APC in waiting game
Prior the announcement of the second batch of the
ministerial nominees, APC leaders in Ondo State, were
sharply divided over who would represent the state at
the FEC.
In fact, an atmosphere of anxiety and tension pervaded
the state chapter of the party over its non inclusion in
the first list forwarded to the Senate by the President.
Tongues were wagging by party loyalists as to why
none of the over 15 contenders in the state made the
first batch.
The three nominees said to be in the fore front include
the former governorship candidate of the defunct Action
Congress of Nigeria ACN in the state, Oluwarotimi
Akeredolu (SAN), the Vice Chairman of the APC in the
South West, Chief Pius Akinyelure, and a female
politician from Ose Local Council of the state, Mrs
Oredola.
At the end of the day, the president settled for a
sociologist, Professor Daramola to fill the Ondo State
slot.
For Fashola, its transformation all the way
The nomination of former governor of Lagos State, Mr
Fashola did not come easy.
Resistance from his home state was put up to ensure his
name was dropped by President Buhari.
In fact, an allegation of corruption and financial
impropriety was leveled against him in a quest to cast
him in a bad light.
A petition, purportedly aimed at smearing the former
governor’s name was sent to the president.
However, at the end of the day, the president turned deaf
ears to all the allegations and sent his name to the
Senate for screening.
There is no gainsaying the fact that Fashola provided a
developmental template which was adopted by many
states across the federation.
During his eight year tenure, Fashola approached his
work as Lagos State governor with unusual fervor; he
felt challenged and inspired by the examples of global
transformational leaders.
It is expected that his input would have far reaching
impact in the Buhari administration.