PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has written to the Senate seeking approval to appoint 15 Special Advisers.
This came as indications emerged, yesterday, that the President is likely to head the Ministry of Petroleum Resources in the emerging cabinet, rather than trust anyone else with the source of most of Nigeria’s revenue, his associates said.
Buhari, in the letter which was his first to the Senate after his inauguration, explained that the request was in line with Section 151 (2-3) of the 1999 Constitution as amended.
The letter, which was signed by Buhari and addressed to the Senate President, David Mark and read at the plenary, explained that the 15 Special Advisers would help him carry out his constitutional roles as the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Meanwhile, according to one of Buhari’s long-standing associates who spoke on condition of anomymity, Nigeria’s oil sector is so dirty that nobody’s hands are clean enough to do the “surgical changes” needed. Another political associate said: “He will do it. It would be stupid to give that position to anyone else.”
According to the first source, Buhari has still not settled on his cabinet and has laughed off media speculation about figures he will appoint. Joking with friends as he read out a newspaper article that mentioned possible names: “They have picked my ministers for me. Have I even told you who I want?”
“It’s going to be a lean government, I doubt he’ll have 42 ministries like Jonathan but he must have at least 36 (for the number of states) as prescribed by the constitution, though it does not specify whether they have to be senior or junior,” an adviser in the ruling APC party told Reuters.
Source:Vanguard
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