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I hear that the Ministerial List will be submitted to the Senate soon. For those hoping, let me help you understanding what may happen to you, so that you can better manage your emotions. It happens in stages and I call it ‘The Heirarchy of Appointment and Disappointment.’ Thread
Some people may have been hoping to be appointed SGF or Chief of Staff to the President. While the current appointees are more than capable, I think Mr President missed the opportunity to appoint from the South East (NOT ME!) into these positions that are personal to him.
I say this because, whether he likes it or not, the President MUST appoint 5 Ministers from the South East into his cabinet. This is different from an appointment he voluntary makes himself, to unite the polity. It would have been well received, given the leadership of NASS.
Anyway, I digress. Next is Ministerial positions. In the past, governors of the ruling party each gave the President 3 names to choose one from. Therefore, the surest way to become a Minister is to win the favour of your state governor, but everyone respected the President power.
The President can reject the Governor’s 3 nominees but this situation is unusual. He can also lean on the Governor that he wants to go with someone else from the state that he, the President, wants. The governor would usually agree but will have the President in his debt.
Until the list gets to the Senate, anything can change. I mean that it can change in the 10 minutes or so it takes between the Villa and the Senate. Even from the Senate President’s office to the Chamber. Until he reads out your name, do not assume that you are on that list.
If you don’t make the Ministerial list, the next thing to hope for is to be the DG of a ‘Grade A’ agency, like NCC, FIRS or NIMASA. However, unless the current DGs have done something wrong, Govt tends to respect tenures of office. You need to wait for their 2 terms to expire.
There will be a number of DGs whose tenures have previously expired or are expiring soon. You’ll have your eyes on those, especially the rich ones, but competition is usually stiff. There is a need to reward people who have “worked for the party”, lost elections or stepped down.
If you don’t get the “juicy” agencies, you’ll manage an average agency. Dem say at all at all na hin bad pass. The ones nobody wants is places like BPSR where it’s mostly work and no money. It’s been 2 years since I stepped down. I don’t think a substantive DG has been appointed.
Next is Special Advisers to the President. I have put DGs above them because they have no money of their own. Next is Senior Special Assistants to the President. Probably the only SSAP that controls funds is SSAP on SDGs). If by now you haven’t heard your name, start to worry.
Then you have Chairmanship of ‘Grade A’ Boards. Then ‘Grade A’ Ambassadorial positions. And down it goes to membership of normal boards & ambassadorial postings to small poor countries. If by the end of next year you haven’t got an appointment, what you have is disappointment o.
You DONT get appointments by making noise on Twitter or by speaking at conferences, even the ones the government invites you to. It is through your Governor or the Chairman of the Ruling Party or the party in each state, or directly by someone recommending you to the President.
Planting articles in newspapers & magazines suggesting your name is also pretty useless. So is paying people to advocate on your behalf or to trend hashtags. Lobbying actually often puts govt off. President Buhari is unusual though. He may do things completely differently. End!
