We Don’t Want Minister of State Again
“We don’t want Minister of State again. It is like a condemnation, if you are in the office, they can’t bring file to you, if you are having a gathering like this, you can’t talk, you will seat down with your colleagues like a “Mumu”, you won’t talk, if you go to federal executive council meeting, you can’t present a memo, it is the Minister that has the power, we don’t want that again”.
Those were the exact words of Chief Donald Omotayo Alasoadura(73) at an event last year.
He should know what he was talking about, for he has served as Minister of State for Niger Delta between 2019-2022. He has also served as Commissioner of Finance and Planning under my friend Dr. Olusegun Kokumo Agagu (16 February 1948 – 13 September 2013), the late Governor of Ondo state. On Wednesday, September 13 this year, it will be ten years anniversary of the demise of Dr. Agagu. My condolences always to his beloved family. Time flies over us but leaves its shadows behind.
The former Minister of State, was a Senator who represented Ondo State Central Senatorial District in 2015.
Chief Alasoadura is a powerful community leader in Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo state.
What he said was his frustration as a Minister of State. This frustration is no doubt being experienced and has been experienced by every Minister of State in Nigeria.
A look at the 1999 Constitution shows that there is no provision for Minister of State, all we have is Minister same with the 1979 Constitution.
Between 1979 to 1983, and from 1999 to the present, every President to date has committed this great error. From President Shehu Usman Aliyu Shagari GCFR (25 February 1925 – 28 December 2018) to President Olusegun Obasanjo GCFR (85), to the late President Umaru Musa Yar’adua GCFR (16 August 1951 – 5 May 2010) to President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan GCFR (65) and to President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR (80). I hope the President-Elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, will not commit this error. Worse still, the Senate that should have corrected this error, has failed to do so.
Since 1979 the procedure has always been for the President to send the list of Ministers to the Senate for confirmation. After the confirmation, the President on his own declassifies certain Ministers to be Ministers of State and he gets away with it.
The idea of Minister of State or Junior Minister, surfaced in the first Republic, for there is no provision for it in the Presidential System of Government.
On August 30, 1957, Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa formed the first all Nigerian Federal Executive Council. He selected his ministers not only from the N.P.C., the N.C.N.C., and the Kamerun National Congress but also from the Action Group. The membership of the Federal Cabinet was—Prime Minister, Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa: Secretary to the Prime Minister; Colonel P.H.G. Stallard: Principal Private Secretary; Mr. R.J.D.M. Kinsman: Assistant Private Secretary: Malam Ahmed Karfi.
The Ministry of Communications and Aviation consisted of Chief S.L. Akintola (Minister), Mr. C.E. Wool-Lewis (Permanent Secretary), Mr. A.K. Edwards (Private Secretary) and Mr. A.J.U. Ekong(Parliamentary Secretary). The Ministry for Lagos Affairs, Mines and Power consisted of Alhaji Muhammadu Ribadu(Minister), Mr. J.F.G. Sykes (Permanent Secretary), Mr. G.C. Thomas (Private Secretary) and Malam Ibrahim Usman (Parliamentary Secretary).
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry consisted of Dr. K.O. Mbadiwe (Minister), Mr. J.H.D. Stapleton, Mr. C.R. Henniken-Heaton (Private Secretary) and Mr. U.O. Ndem (Parliamentary Secretary). The Ministry of Transport consisted of Mr. R.A. Njoku (Minister), Mr. A.M. Muir (Acting Permanent Secretary), Mr. P.G. Abbey (Private Secretary) and Mr. F.E. Offor (Parliamentary Secretary). The Ministry of Works and Survey consisted of Alhaji Muhmmadu Inuwa Wada (Minister), Mr. V.H.K. Littlewood (Permanent Secretary), Mr. J. Taggert (Private Secretary) and Malam Usman Sarki (Parliamentary Secretary).
The Ministry of Labour, Welfare and Internal Affairs consisted of Mr. Mr. J.M. Johnson (Minister), Mr. H.A. G. Action (Permanent Secretary), N.R Ugo (Private Secretary) and Chief O. Oweh (Parliamentary Secretary). The Ministry of Research and Information consisted of Chief Kolawole Balogun (Minister), Mr. D.H. Griffiths (Permanent Secretary), Mr. C. Okigbo(Private Secretary) and Mr. O. Bademosi (Parliamentary Secretary). The Ministry of Education consisted of Mr. Aja Nwachukwu (Minister), Mr. C.J. Mabey (Permanent Secretary), Mr. P.C. Ndibe and Mr. D.C. Ugwu (Parliamentary Secretary).
The Ministry of Health consisted of Mr. Ayo Rosiji (Minister), Mr. M.N.H. (Acting Permanent Secretary), Mr. S. Agodo (Private Secretary) and Chief Duro Phillips (Parliamentary Secretary).
The Ministry of Finance consisted of Chief F.S. Okotie-Eboh (Minister), Mr. G.G. Carlyle (Permanent Secretary), Mr. E.M. McConchie (Private Secretary) and Chief H. Omo-Osagie (Parliamentary Secretary). Ministers of State were Mr. Victor Mukete, Malam Zanna Bukar Dipcharima and Private Secretary, Mr.M.O. Nwakwo.
Office of the Governor-General consisted of the Deputy Governor-General, Sir, Ralph Grey, Secretary to the Governor-General and Council of Ministers, Mr. F.F.P. Newns, Mr. D.J. Brown (Private Secretary) and Aide-de-Camp, Mr. D.G. Angus.
The Chambers of the Attorney-General consisted of Mr. E.I.G. Unsworth, Q.C., and Solicitor General Mr. L. Brett, Q.C. The Privy Council consisted of the Governor General; Sir Ralph Grey: The AttorneyGeneral; Sir Kofo Abayomi: The Prime Minister; Mr. R.A. Njoku; Sir Samuel Manuwa.
After discussions between the N.P.C. and N.C.N.C. officially described as friendly and cordial, a new Federal Government was formed on the 20th December 1959. N.P.C. had ten ministers and N.C.N.C. seven.
The Coalition Government consisted of Prime Minister Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Alhaji Muhammadu Ribadu (Lands and Lagos Affairs), Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh(finance), Mr. Raymond Njoku (Transport and Aviation), Alhaji Inuwa Wada (Works and Survey), Mr. Z.B. Dipcharima (Commerce and Industries), Mr. Joseph Johnson (Labour and Welfare), Mr. Aja Nwachukwu (Education), Mallam Maitama Sule (Mines and Power), Mallam Shehu Shagari (Economic Development and Natural Resources), Mr. Olu Akinfosile (Communications), Mallam Usman Seriki (Internal Affairs), Mr. Theophilus Benson (Information), Mallam Waziri Ibrahim (Health), Mallam Yisa Yar’adua (Pensions, Establishment & Nigerianisation) and Mr. Matthew Mbu and Mr. Olarewanju (Ministers of State) .
The list of the 11 Ministers without portfolio but with Cabinet rank appointed to the reorganized Federal Cabinet on March 31, 1965 was as follows—Alhaji Nuhu Bamali—Minister of State in the Ministry of State in the Ministry of External Affairs, Mr. Jaja Nwachukwu—Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance, Mr. M.T. Mbu—Minister of State in the Ministry in the Ministry of Defence (Navy), Alhaji Usman Maitambari---Minister of State in the Ministry of Transport, Alhaji Hashim Adaji---Minister of State in the Ministry of Works, Alhaji Ibrahim Tako---Minister of State in the Ministry of Defence (Army), Mr. T.E. Orodi---Minister of State in the Ministry of Lagos Affairs, Chief H.O. Davies—Minister of State in the Ministry of Industries, Chief A. Akerele—Minister of State in the Ministry of Information, Alhaji Abdul Rasaq--Minister of State in the Ministry of Transport and Mr. D. Ibekwe---Minister of State in the Ministry of External Affairs.
In a new government, the Portfolios being distributed were as follows—Alhaji Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa(Prime Minister and External Affairs), Alhaji Muhmmadu Ribadu(Defence), Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh(Finance), Alhaji Shehu Shagari(Internal Affairs), Alhaji Muhhammadu Inuwa Wada(Works), Alhaji Zanna Bukar Dipcharima (Transport), Mr. Raymond Njoku (Communications), Dr. Kingsley O. Mbadiwe(Trade), Mr. Jaja Nwachukwu(Aviations), Chief Adeniran Ogunsanya(Housing and Survey), Chief A.M.A. Akinloye(Industries), Chief Ayo Rosiji(Information), Mr. R.A. Akinjide(Education), Mr. Adeleke Adedoyin(Labour), Mr. Alade Lamuye(Natural Resources and Research), Alhaji Yusufu Maitama Sule (Mines and Power), Alhaji Waziri A. Ibrahim(Economic Development), Dr. T.O. Elias (Attorney-General and Justices, Dr. M.A. Majekodunmi(Health) and Chief J.C. Obande(Establishments).
In the 1963 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Section 87 subsection 4-7 clearly states that “(4) Appointments to the office of Minister of the Government of the Federation other than the office of Prime Minister shall be made by the President, acting in accordance with the advice of the Prime Minister (5) A person shall not hold office at the same time both as a Minister of the Government of the Federation and as a Minister of the Government of a Region (6) A person who holds office as Minister of the Government of the Federation for any period of four consecutive months without also being a Senator or a member of the House of Representatives shall cease to be a Minister at the expiration of that period or, if that period expires at a time when Parliament is dissolved and he does not in the meantime become a Senator or a member of the House of Representatives, at the date on which Parliament first meets after that dissolution. (7) A person who holds office as a Minister of the Government of the Federation and who is at no time, while holding that office also a Senator or a member of the House of Representatives shall not be qualified for reappointment as such a Minister before Parliament is next dissolved after he ceases to hold that office, unless in the meantime he has become a Senator or a member of the House of Representatives”.
I don’t want to refer to the military era as regards to the appointments of ministers since the military government is not an elected government.
On October 18, 1979, President Usman Aliyu Shehu Shagari GCFR submitted to the Senate presided over by Dr. Joseph Wayas, the confirmation of the following list as ministers and ministers without cabinet rank. They were M. Mohammed Ibrahim Hassan(Bauchi), M. Adamu Ciroma(Borno), Mr. Isaac Shaahu and Mr. Paul Unongo(Benue), Professor Iya Abubakar(Gongola), Alhaji Umaru Dikko and Professor Ishaya Audu(Kaduna), Alhaji Bello Maitama Yusuf(Kano), Alhaji Akanbi Oniyangi(Kwara), Alhaji Ndagi Mamudu(Niger), Mrs Adenike Ebun Oyagbola(Ogun), Mr. Samuel Adebisi Ogedengbe(Ondo), Chief Richard O. Akinjide(Oyo), Mr. John Jatau Kadiya and Mr. Gorge Baba Hoomkwap(Plateau), Mr. Victor Masi(Rivers), Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau(Sokoto), Mr. D.C. Ugwu and Mr. Chimezie Ikeazor(Anambra), Professor Sunday Matthew Essang(Cross River), Mr. Amadi Emina(Bendel), Dr. Sylvester Ugoh and Dr. I.I. Maduike(Imo) and Dr. Wahab Olaseinde Dosunmu(Lagos).
Ministers with non-cabinet rank included Alhaji Ahmed Musa (Bauchi), Chief P. Bolokor (Bendel), Alhaji Asheikh Jarma(Borno), Alhaji Ali Baba(Gongola), M. Iro Abubakar Dan-Musa(Kaduna), Alhaji Bilyamin Usman(Kano), Mr. Ademola Thomas(Lagos), Chief Olu Awotesu(Ogun), Chief Mrs. J. Akinrinade(Oyo), Alhaji Ahmudu Nahuce(Sokoto), Chief E. Okoi-Obuli(Cross River), Mallam Mamman Ali Makele(Kwara), Mr. Cladius Agboola Bamgboye(Ondo) and Dr. Jakiri Igbani(Rivers).
He later fired Chief Paul Unongo and replaced him with Chief Audu Ugbeh.
In the second term of President Shehu Shagari other Ministers were appointed including Chief Eleazor Chukwuemeka Anyaoku (90) CFR from Obosi in Anambra State, who later became the Secretary General of Commonwealth from 1990 to year 2000. Chief Anyaoku married Princess Bunmi from Abeokuta in 1962.
In 1999, President Olusegun Obasanjo GCFR appointed Ministers of State. They included Mrs Modupe Adelaja(Defence), Chief Dubem Onyia(Foreign Affairs), Alhaji Musa Elayo Abdullahi(Justice), Chief Chris Agbobu(Agriculture and Rural Development), Alhaji L. Ade Haruna Elewi(Communications), Mallam L. Tukur Batagarawa(Defence-Army), Alhaji Bello Usman(Education), Dr. Imeh T. Okopido (Environment), Mr. Solomon S.A. Ewuga(Federal Capital Territory, FCT), Senator Jubril Martins-Kuye(Finance), Dr. (Mrs.) Aminat Ndalolo(Health), Chief Lawrence Nwuruku(Industry), Mr. Garba Madaki Ali(Transport), Mr. Yomi Edu(Special Duties, The Presidency), Alhaji Ibrahim Umar Kida(Inter-Governmental Affairs, The Presidency), Dr. Mohammed Shata(Internal Affairs), Alhaji Danjuma Goje(Power and Steel), Mrs. Pauline K-Tallen(Science and Technology), Mr. Isa Yuguda(Transport), Chief Precious Ngelale (JP)(Water Resources), and Prince Vincent Ogbulafor(Economic Affairs, The Presidency).
Section 147 and 148 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria states that (1) there shall be such offices of Ministers of the Government of the Federation as may be established by the President. (2) Any appointment to the office of Minister of the Government of the Federation shall, if the nomination of any person to such office is confirmed by the Senate, be made by the President. (3) Any appointment under subsection (2) of this section by the President shall be in conformity with the provisions of section 14(3) of this Constitution:-provided that in giving effect to the provisions aforesaid the President shall appoint at least one Minister from each State, who shall be an indigene of such State. (4) Where a member of the National Assembly or of a House of Assembly is appointed as Minister of the Government of the Federation, he shall be deemed to have resigned his membership of the National Assembly or of the House of Assembly on his taking the oath of office as Minister. (5) No person shall be appointed as a Minister of the Government of the Federation unless he is qualified for election as a member of the House of Representatives.(6) An appointment to any of the offices aforesaid shall be deemed to have been made where no return has been received from the Senate within twenty-one working days of the receipt of nomination by the Senate.
Section 148 (1) states that “The President may, in his discretion, assign to the Vice-President or any Minister of the Government of the Federation responsibility for any business of the Government of the Federation, including the administration of any department of government.