West, Kalu, Ndah-Isaiah, Fashola, Abdulahi, Akeredolu may make Buhari's cabinet

David West, Idika Kalu, Ndah-Isaiah,
Fashola, Abdulahi, Akeredolu may
make Buhari’s cabinet
About five weeks to the inauguration of the
General Muhammadu Buhari government,
the shape of the new cabinet is beginning to
emerge. Daily Sun gathered that the next
Federal Executive Council may be
composed of Nigerians who are not only
driven by the desire to restore the dream of
the founding fathers but also share the
modest lifestyle of the incoming president.
Resolved to work with the best, it was
learnt that the president-elect is considering
the likes of former ministers of petroluem
and finance, Prof Tam David-West and Dr.
Kalu Idika Kalu. Others are former president
of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) and
governorship candidate of the Action
Congress of Nigeria in Ondo State, Rotimi
Akeredolu; former minister of sports, Bolaji
Abdullahi, presidential aspirant of APC, Mr.
Sam Ndah-Isaiah and Lagos State governor,
Mr. Babatunde Fashola.
It was gathered that while the President-
elect is not going to stand against the APC
that won him the Presidency, he has
resolved to pick technocrats and those he
trusts to run his most important ministries.
Towards this end, a source close to the
president-elect and who had been privy to
meetings being held, revealed: “It’s the
President-elect’s personal wish to return
former Nigeria’s oil Minister, David West to
the Petroleum Ministry.”
According to him, David West is
incorruptible, frugal, and loyal even in trying
times.
The source also revealed that while a lot of
qualified technocrats are being bandied
about and their names forwarded by party
chiefs and lobbyists for the minister of
finance, the inner circle of the President-elect
is leaning toward the expertise of Dr. Idika
Kalu, a World Bank specialist consultant,
who, for many years, worked with the
bank’s various development programmes
catapulting the Korean economy from the
third world into its present competitive
global market.
Moreover, explained the source, it was Idika
Kalu who, in 2005, openly opposed the
Paris debt relief as canvassed by the
Olusegun Obasanjo administration. In an
essay in the Washington based AMERICA Mi
DREAM Magazine, the financial guru argued:
“What Nigerian authorities have in fact,
opted to do is a rather expensive debt
refinancing. More bluntly, our first option in
dealing with our enhanced revenue cannot
be for a ‘debt exit treatment,’ but rather, for
the further growth and development of the
Nigerian economy. This is the sustainable
way of helping Nigeria’s fight against
poverty, which the Paris club clearly
subscribes to.”
In recognising the leaning of the caucus to
Idika kalu, the source believes that the
President-elect, as in the case of David
West, wants Idika Kalu in the ministry of
finance. However, position of the
coordinating minister of the economy will
be scrapped, while there will be an
economic advisory committee.
For the ministry of sports, Abdulahi,
Nigeria’s former Minister of Sports, may
return. He had resigned as minister in
Goodluck Jonathan’ government, owing to
his leaning towards the new PDP, the
faction of the PDP, which his mentor,
Senator Bukola Saraki and five governors
had formed.
Fashola and Akeredolu, it was learnt, are
being considered as ministers of the Federal
Capital Territory and Justice, respectively.
On security, it was gathered that Buhari is
considering one General Garba as Defence
Minister, National Security Adviser (NSA) or
Chief of Staff.
General Cyril Iweze, a then young Igbo
officer who served directly under Buhari in
the First Division before the Nigeria Civil
War, may lead the operation against Boko
Haram.
General Iweze was the Nigerian
Commander of ECOMOG in Liberia. He’s
reputed to have given the Maitatsene sect
hell in the defunct Gongola State.
The source revealed that General Buhari
may constitute a Special Force made of
serving officers and retired officers, who
would be given a mandate to finish up the
Boko Haram insurgency.
Nda Isaiah, publisher of Leadership
Newspaper, who is noted for his ‘Big Ideas’
when he contested for APC presidential
ticket, it was gathered my be minister of
education.
Meanwhile, it was equally learnt that
appointments in the Buhari government
would be subjected to public asset
declaration. Sources revealed that the
president-elect would not have those
whose assets run into billions in his
government, as he wants to wage serious
war against corruption.