Political Activist and former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the
All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, has said that the
corrupt pedigree of some personalities that now populate General
Muhammadu Buhari’s new cabinet show that governance in the country has
been officially and effectively handed-over to looters and manifestly
corrupt individuals.
He called on Nigerians to lower their expectations for true dividends of
democracy but rather should expect unprecedented and astronomical rise
in the level of corruption in the country during the the short period
the current administration shall remain in office.
Reacting to the inauguration of new Ministers and assignment of
portfolios released on Wednesday, Frank in a statement he signed and
made available to newsmen in Abuja on Thursday, said nothing positive
can come from the new Ministers because “70 to 80 per cent of them have
at one time or the other been guests of the anti-corruption agencies
with most of them still battling corruption charges in court.”
According to Frank, “there will be more corruption in this cabinet than
in any other administration in the history of Nigeria as some of the the
Ministers purchased their slots and would want to recoup their
investments at the detriment of Nigeria and Nigerians.
“Therefore, I urge Nigerians to brace up for more hardships as
corruption and incompetence have been enthroned with corruption masters
turned Ministers to run the affairs of government in Nigeria.
“Buhari told Nigerians in 2015 that he will cut his salary by 50 per
cent, reduce the aircraft in the presidential fleet before he became
President. He also said he would reduce the cars in the Presidential
convoy.
“But Nigerians can testify that this was never done. He neither reduced
his salary, aircraft in the presidential fleet nor cars in his convoy.
“With this therefore, it is clear to Nigerians that General Buhari is a
product of lies who has continued to live and rule with falsehood. It is
clear that Nigeria cannot move forward under this circumstances because
darkness and light have nothing in common.”
Reacting to General Buhari’s directive that ministers who want to see
him must go through his Chief of Staff or the Secretary to the
Government of the Federation (SGF), Frank queried: “What is the
President still doing in office? By this action, he has completely
abdicated his responsibilities and declared himself unavailable and
unfit to occupy the Office of President.
“To subordinate ministers to the whims and caprices of his aides
represent a gross abuse of office and the Constitution of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria.
“This is impunity of the highest order and a criminal alienation of the
states of the federation that these ministers represent. Effectively,
General Buhari’s misguided order means that the CoS and SGF are the de
facto presidents.”
He said that another reason why Nigerians must not take General Buhari
and his corrupt cabinet serious is the fact that he is not a man of
integrity.
“In 2015, while campaigning, General Buhari promised to reduce the cost
of governance if elected. After his election, he appointed 36 Ministers
in apparent fulfillment of the promise. Why did he appoint 43 Ministers
in 2019?
We don’t need seer to know that ballooning of the cabinet would greatly
increase government administrative cost and impact negatively on his
ability to deliver on infrastructural development in the face of
dwindling national revenue.
“Never in the history of Nigeria has any President appointed 43
Ministers. What has changed between 2015 and 2019 that led to this
atrocious expansion of the cabinet?” Frank asked.