More Protests Trail Ministerial Lists

Posted by admin Latest Politics, Ministries Thursday, June 23rd, 2011

Confusion has continued to trail the bid by President Goodluck Jonathan to constitute a new cabinet amid consistent protests against some of the ministerial nominees which the presidency had shortlisted for appointment.

Protests against the nominees had spread across the federation even as group of PDP members in the south-west are set to hold a crucial meeting in Ondo state today to address the crisis over nominees from the south-west.

Already, a group which addressed itself as Kaduna Truth Bearers have petitioned President Goodluck Jonathan in protest against a nominee for the state, Yusuf Hamisu Abubakar popularly known as Mairago, stating that the nominee was not competent enough to represent the Kaduna state’s interest.

Reports have it that protesters from Kebbi and Plateau states had equally petitioned President Jonathan with complaints that the nominees being proposed for appointment in the cabinet from their respective states would not adequately represent the interest of the states.

The chairman of Truth Bearers, Alhaji Idris Musa in a chat disclosed that the petition his group forwarded to President Jonathan and the Peoples Democratic Party was aimed at making him to realise that the nominee for Kaduna state has had cases on alleged corruption hanging.

He said the petition called the attention of President Jonathan to the petition filed against the Kaduna state ministerial nominee before the Economic and Financial Crimes Committee (EFCC) on alleged unwholesome conduct during his service year at the Petroleum Technology Fund (PTDF).

He said the trial of the nominee was still fresh, alluding to a publication on it by a national daily which he said should be a reference point for those who wanted him to be a Federal Cabinet member.

He quoted the newspaper report which was published in 2007 with indication that the Kaduna state nominee was one of the two former Executive Secretaries of the PTDF who “were also indicted for abuse of office and diversion of public funds and hence, recommended for prosecution”

He said President Jonathan should not forget his inaugural speech during which he pledge zero tolerance to corruption, stating that the people of Kaduna have been waiting for his government to appoint more credible nominee from the state into the new cabinet being formed.

He said, “The People of Kaduna state would not dictate any person to Mr President. What they wanted is that any one who would be picked to represent them in the cabinet should not be of a questionable background. There are more credible individuals from Kaduna in the ministerial list that the President could pick from.

“We would wait and see how Police, EFCC and the SSS and the Senate would clear a man that has been indicted on alleged acts of corruption when he was serving to represent our state”.

He warned against appointing people with doubtful credentials into the cabinet because of the consequences.

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