Portfolios: I would have told Tinubu to avoid giving former Governors ministries to head – Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed

Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, the Director of Publicity and Advocacy at the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), has expressed his thoughts on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s choice of ministers. During an interview on Silverbird TV, Baba-Ahmed stated that if given the chance, he would advise the President to avoid appointing former Governors to head ministries and to increase appointments based on merit rather than patronage.

In response to a question about whether he believes the President’s new ministers and their portfolios are suitable for Nigeria, Baba-Ahmed mentioned that the appointments were just made and that time will reveal their effectiveness.

He suggested that the President should set benchmarks for the ministers to meet and lead by example. He also highlighted the need for merit-based appointments and avoiding patronage in order to effectively govern a country facing significant challenges.

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Additionally, he shared his view that former Governors should not be assigned ministries to lead. Drawing from his experience as an old permanent secretary, he explained that Governors are accustomed to handling large budgets, and when they are given ministerial roles, they might consider it a minor assignment to pass the time. This sentiment, he noted, has been observed when Presidents have appointed Governors to head ministries in the past.

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