PRESIDENT BUHARI’S DELAYED APPOINTMENTS
The immediate selection and appointment of security chiefs, presidential aides, cabinet members, diplomats, heads and members of boards of parastatals and filling of sundry vacancies is a major priority of every new democratically-elected president to kick-start his administration. This task becomes imperative because the president needs men and women of sterling qualities who identify with his inspiration to drive his envisaged policies, both domestic and foreign. Thus any delay in making such quick appointments gives a cause for concern within bureaucratic, military, diplomatic, political and business circles and the international community at large.
From bureaucrats who translate the president’s vision into actionable programmes, policies and actions, the military and security forces who contend with security challenges, diplomats who oil the machinery of bilateral and multilateral relations, the political class which thrives on patronage, the business class that invests in the economy and the expectant citizenry all eagerly await such appointments to gauge and determine the policy direction of the new administration. We have seen examples in the new democratically-elected governments of Donald Trump of the US and his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron and our next door neighbour Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana.
Nigerians and indeed members of the international community have become wary and unsure of the policy direction of this administration as a result of the unavoidable delay in appointments by this administration. Notwithstanding Mr President’s ailment, if he had made all the political appointments early enough, Nigerians would have long before now started enjoying fully the benefits of democracy dividends and who knows the economic recession would have since been nipped in the bud.
It is regrettable that two years and half way into his administration ,several appointments critical to the attainment of the change mantra are yet to be made while the few that were made, the appointees’ names are yet to be submitted to the Senate for confirmation while some are still hanging before the Senate.
The drama surrounding the Senate screening of Ibrahim Magu, Acting Chairman of the EFCC, the controversial assumption of office of the newly appointed but unconfirmed Director General, Lottery Regulatory Commission Mr. Adolphus Joe Ekpe; Dr. Aliyu Dikko, the new Pencom Director General, and board members of the agency and a host of others are quite embarrassing and unsettling as they are indicative of an unhealthy relationship between the executive and the legislature. Furthermore, the two new ministers -designate who were recently cleared and confirmed by the Senate are yet to be assigned portfolio and inaugurated even with Prof. Yemi Osibanjo as the Acting President exercising full presidential powers. The situation is the same with the recently cleared and confirmed non-career ambassadorial nominees still awaiting postings to their various missions abroad. Ditto with the Chair- man of NERC, Prof. James Momoh, whose name is yet to be submitted to the Senate. Another example is the reappointment of Mr. Elias Mbam as the Chairman, Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), whose name is yet to be forwarded to the Senate for screening almost one year after the announcement of his reappointment.
This is why members of the civil society, the media and the academia as well as concerned citizens have been voicing their fears and consternation at the inertia of government especially at this critical juncture of the nation’s development. This unnecessary delay is giving rise to avoidable criticism and dangerous speculations.