Ministerial list – No fly list

You remain surprised at yourself, that despite the firm believe that you have lost the ability to be shocked by the present leadership of our country, you still come out ‘weak’ at this list.

One had expected that being the second and last term, that a legacy cabinet would be put in place. A cabinet that would be made up of very serious minded Nigerians with the capacity to deliver on a generational shift in policy formulation, execution and delivery. A cabinet that would amongst others contribute in easing out the administration in a mould breaking output that would immortalize this administration and amongst others set a benchmark for future administrations in effective engagement.

After waiting for about two months we get saddled with a band of merry men. A compilation of pollical jobbers and a close fraternity of inner caucus members with no real pedigree in extensive policy work or clear understanding of what is required at this time.
A cursory look at the team would immediately situate the mindset in bringing them together. A mind limiting push on the back of a work – reward model tied to the last election. An attempt to mix this up with a pulling in of filial connections in a sad bid to put trust around the core as a result of distrust of the first groupings and lastly a seeming helplessness as the forces that delivered on extant promises now foster their henchmen on the system.

This is the band that is expected to work with the Presidency into the twilight of its tenure and in the process put down a legacy of positions that Nigerians are expected to remember it by. This is almost laughable as you continue your cursory look at the list and in the process really feel a crest fallen sense of foreboding and pity for the people.

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A mix of people being investigated by the anti corruption system with their prosecutor, proteges of yet to expire god fathers, people with faint blood ties to power and just political jobbers who are obviously out there to prove a point that remains very far from the genuine aspirations of Nigeria.

This completes a circle of incompetence as we have seen with the recent confirmation at the Judiciary, the leadership of the second tier and the election of the first tier. Nigerians are really in for a very rough ride and I must repeat for emphasis, really turbulent ride.

What with the economic challenges we face with a constricting economy being propped by diaspora inflows, low capacity utilization, a gradual reduction in oil earnings due to the shift in global power requirements, an imploding population, a wanton deepening in corruption and a systematic weakling of institutions all brought together by gathering wave of the worst kind of peace time insecurity.

Should I say we are in trouble? Looks very much like that and I would advice Nigerians to fasten their seat belts, crouch, put their heads in between their knees and assume a posture of crash landing as we go through this very cryptic turbulence.

There would surely be a silver lining somewhere, not looking for though.

By Joseph Edgar…

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